Oh What A Night
by Gottabeelove
Summary: Caroline tapped her leg nervously as she waited for the timer to finish. Her life, her baby-free life, flashed before her eyes before the ding of the timer interrupted her thoughts. Elena's eyes inquired as Caroline slowly made her way over to the counter to see what her fate held. "Damon will never stop making bun in the oven jokes, will he?" AU-H Klaroline
1. Deja Vu

**Chapter One – Déjà Vu**

_I think I've been here before  
I think I've run into you  
I know the things that you do  
Cause this is déjà vu._

"Elena, get up and get dressed. We're done doing this," Caroline said, pulling the blankets from over top of her best friend. The two girls had been on the couch for the better part of that Sunday afternoon and the three Sundays before. It had become part of their routine; work Monday thru Saturday and wallow in self-pity on Sunday. It was pathetic really and they both knew it. "Come on, Lena. I'm serious. We're single. It isn't the end of the world. It's time to get off the couch and go to the real world again."

"I don't like the real world. I don't think the real world likes me very much either," Elena said, attempting to pull the blanket back over her and cover the sweat pants and oversized 'Mystic Falls Football' t-shirt she was wearing, but Caroline was stronger.

"Oh my gosh, Elena. Seriously!? Matt broke up with you and moved back to Virginia a month ago and you are still wearing his t-shirt. I cannot let this happen any longer. I'm calling in the best friend code. I simply cannot let you go on like this," The blonde said overdramatically.

"It's six o'clock on a Sunday night. The bars and clubs are going to be empty. This is pointless. We don't open the bar on Sunday nights for that exact reason." Elena argued from her spot on the couch. "I'm wallowing. There's nothing wrong with wallowing."

"We don't open the bar on Sundays because we would never have any time to do anything if we didn't have one solid day a week that we both had off. We're not going to just a bar anyway. I managed to get us on the list at the Zanne opening tonight; that new bar on New York Avenue that they have been advertising and PRing for months. Everyone is going to be there and there is absolutely no reason we shouldn't be to. So get off the couch, get your ass in the shower, and put on your sluttiest dress. Tonight isn't about finding Mr. Right, it's about finding someone who make us forget about Matt and Tyler." She pulled her up from the couch and began shoving her towards the bathroom. "No more wallowing. Wallowing isn't sexy, it's just sad."

"Easy for you to say. Tyler is a little easier to get over than Matt," Elena grumbled as she walked into the bathroom.

"Well, that's because Tyler and I agreed we were going to stay friends. Just be thankful Matt didn't decide to come out while you were planning your wedding. I don't have a choice, but to be friends with Tyler. He's dating your little brother now. He's going to be in my life for as long as they date," she told her as Elena closed the bathroom door. "Alright, I'm running across the hall to shower and get ready. I'll be back in an hour and I swear to god, Elena, if you are back in that t-shirt, I will burn it," she warned before exiting the apartment and heading across the hall to her own.

Caroline began running the shower and stripped out of the terry cloth shorts and tank top she had been wearing all afternoon before wandering into the closet to find something to wear. It was easier said than done; a large portion of Caroline's closet was tank tops and t-shirts with 'Moonlight Bakery Bar' silk-screened onto them. She spent most of her time at the business that she and Elena had started two years before. It had begun as a bakery, Caroline had been famous for their cupcake recipe during finals while in school at Virginia State University, when they graduated they decided to start charging. Caroline came up with the menu and Elena handled the business side. The bar had come along a year later. They were doing well enough with the simple bakery, but there were hundreds of bakeries within the city limits of DC and they needed something to set them apart. A month of construction and a liquor license fiasco later, the two girls were selling drinks along with their cupcakes.

Once she found a tight-fitting, red bandage dress and a pair of sky high black heels, Caroline slipped into the shower and tossed her hair up in a few curlers. It had been a while since she had been out anywhere besides her own bar. Her relationship with Tyler had ended nearly two months before and she had spent much of those two months on the couch, doing exactly what Elena was trying to do now, but it had not worked out for her either. That evening would be different though. Caroline was on a mission to have fun and break out of their routine and when the blonde put her mind to something, it usually happened. With her hair and make-up perfect and her dress hugging all the right places, she wandered back across the hall into her best friend's apartment.

"We are so getting free drinks all night," Caroline remarked as Elena came into view wearing an white dress that dipped low enough to show ample cleavage.

"I still can't believe I let you talk me into this," Elena sighed as she and Caroline climbed into a cab.

"Stop with that. We're going to have fun tonight," she said, before turning towards the cab driver. "Fifteen hundred New York Avenue, please." She settled back into the seat and checked the contents of her purse before looking back to Elena. "Just please try to have a good time tonight? We haven't been out in months."

"Alright," Elena reluctantly agreed and soon the two girls were walking into the newly renovated bar.

| Oh What A Night |

"Father will not be happy about us staying out until the wee hours of the morning on the Eve of his promotion announcement," Kol commented as the two of them walked into the overcrowded bar opening.

With the amount of whining Kol had been doing since they left the ambassador's mansion, Klaus was beginning to seriously regret bringing his younger brother along. Kol had practically invited himself, it's not like he had much choice. "Since when do you give any thought to what Mikael thinks about our actions?"

"Since I've decided I don't want to lose the diplomatic immunity his career path affords me," Kol said, lifting a glass from the tray one of the waitresses was carrying around.

"Good to see you finally gave in and let him begin buying your affections," Klaus spouted sarcastically as he took his own drink, downing the scotch before he scanned the room. His taste had changed over the last year. The way his disastrous relationship with Tatia had ended, he wanted someone who looked nothing like her. No commitment, no dating. He had allowed himself to become far too vulnerable with her and she used it against him. He would never be in that position again. As he looked around the room, his eyes fell upon a small blonde sitting at the bar next to a brunette. _Perfect_, he thought to himself. "Get yourself another drink," he said, pressing his glass into his brother's chest until he took it from him. He stepped away from the entrance and headed towards the bar. "Bourbon, neat," he told the bartender, leaning into the bar between the two girls.

"Excuse you," Caroline said, her brows furrowing as she looked at the man who has so rudely made his way in between them in his haste to get to the bar. If there was one thing she could not tolerate, it was people without manners. She had a policy at the bakery that if anyone cut in line she sent them to the back like a kindergarten teacher. This was just plain rude.

"Oh and whatever these two lovely ladies are drinking," Klaus added, trying to soothe the tension he had purposefully created. He laid on the charm thickly as he refused to budge while waiting for his drink. He had never needed to employ any tricks or lines to take girls home with him, but he found if he ruffled a few feathers first they were all that much more feisty when he got them home later. He loved a good challenge.

"We're trying to have a conversation here," Caroline said, trying not to let her anger fizzle as he turned to look at her with his piercing blue eyes.

"You do realize this is noisy bar, correct? It's not exactly conducive to a conversation, love. Perhaps, you should try the library or a coffee shop if you are looking for a quiet place to chat," he thanked the bar tender with a nod before laying a fifty dollar bill down on the counter to cover the three drinks that he placed in front of them. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you girls later," he said, smirking devilishly as he picked up his drink and walked away, making his way back over to Kol.

"Ouch. Rejected already, brother? I thought you were supposed to be teaching me something tonight?" Kol asked, the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk as he brought his own drink to his lips. Taunting his older brother had always been one of his favorite past times, especially when he saw an opportunity to attack his arrogance.

"Simply planting seeds for later. The night is young, Kol."

"What an asshole," Caroline said, picking up her martini, the one that she had paid for herself, and taking a sip.

"That's exactly why I have been spending every Sunday on the couch. That's what's out there and available to us. I think I prefer dating my TIVO and a bottle of wine," Elena said, shaking her head before she tilted her head back and drank the rest of her vodka cranberry like a shot.

"I don't know why women fall for guys like that. Rude and cocky and self-entitled." Caroline shook her head, following Elena's gaze over to where the man was currently hitting on another petite blonde who seemed to be eating up everything he had to say like it was the finest caviar.

"And hot," Elena added.

"Ridiculously hot," Caroline nodded in agreement, "but hot does not compensate for having a horrible personality. Now, come on. We're going to find someone hot with manners and we are going to forget about Matt and Tyler. We're young. We need to rebound, it's healthy." She set her empty glass on the counter, leaving the one Klaus had bought her untouched as she pulled Elena out to the dance floor with her.

The two girls danced provocatively fitting the mood of the club and drawing the attention of most of the men surrounding them. As Caroline had pointed out earlier, they were young and this night was about finding someone for tonight not forever. Caroline was normally not a one night stand kind of girl. She had been with Tyler since she was seventeen and that had certainly limited her sexual experience. She needed something new and she didn't need to have her heart broken again.

As the night wore on, the prospects began to dwindle, Caroline was seated alone at the bar as Elena made out with some drummer she had met a few minutes ago. It was so unlike Elena, but she guessed the four drinks she had that evening had something to do with her newly found inhibition. Caroline was beginning to wonder if she would be the only one going home alone that evening. She wasn't jealous, if anything she was happy for her friend. She needed a night of fun as much as Caroline did, but it did nothing to make her feel better.

"You look like you could use another drink," Klaus said as he took a seat in Elena's empty bar stool. He followed his eyes over to the corner Caroline was staring at. "Girlfriend problems?" he asked in a teasing manner.

"I'm too smart to be seduced by someone like you.."

"Klaus," he filled in the blank. "And who says I'm trying to seduce you. I offered to buy you a drink because you are beginning to bring down the mood of the whole bar."

"Caroline." She rolled her eyes, "Where did your little buddy go?" she asked, trying to make conversation if she was going to be stuck there, waiting for Elena to decide if she was going home with that guy or not. "And a glass of whiskey, no ice. Preferably a double."

"Kol? I believe my younger brother left with a pretty little brunette a while ago. Hard to keep tabs on him," Klaus spoke, picking up his drink as he looked over at her.

Caroline finally pulled her eyes away from Elena and looked at her companion. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but he looked even more attractive than he had earlier. His blue eyes were still his crowning feature, but the defined jaw line and perfect lips weren't hurting him either. She could just imagine his stubble brushing against her inner thigh as he made his way up before she shook away the thought. It truly had been too long. She picked up the glass from the counter, taking it all back in one impressive swallow. "Do you want to get out of here?" she asked. She was tipsy, but not drunk. Sober enough to know this was a terrible decision but too buzzed to care. She needed to stop thinking so much. He was an ass, but he was also hot and that was all she really needed tonight.

It was all the preamble Klaus needed. He took her hand and led her out of the bar and into a waiting town car, telling the driver to take them back to his apartment. His lips found her neck, peppering impatient yet skillfully placed kissed over her skin as his hands found their way under her dress. It was exactly what she needed, her hands tugged at the collar of his jacket as they stumbled into his apartment. She had already come this far, talking or more drinking seemed unnecessary and the second her body was writhing underneath his, she knew she had made the right decision.

The next morning, however, she wasn't so sure. Her head pounded in the judgmental morning sun as she made her way home. She was already burying herself in regret over the night before, she didn't need the sun to add to her self-loathing. It was so unlike her. Sure, it had been her idea, but she was normally one to plan every detail of her life. She had standards and morals, rules to live by, rules that she had broken last night. While it had been what she needed to take her mind off Tyler, she knew for sure that these weren't for her. She would never be a one night stand kind of girl and she was okay with that.

When she unlocked her apartment door, she was more than surprised to see Elena seated at her kitchen counter, "Well good morning, how was your evening?"

"Do we have to talk about it?" Caroline asked, thankful that Elena had already gotten her coffee pot going and she would not have to wait for the one thing that could make her feel better.

"That bad huh?"

Caroline poured herself a mug before turning back towards her, "He was phenomenal. Apparently assholes are great in bed. I feel like I would have known this already if I had not wasted eight years of my life on Tyler, but it's a lesson every girl needs to know. That being said, one night stands are not for me. I feel gross. I need to shower and about a gallon of coffee." She wrinkled her nose.

"I take it you aren't planning on talking to him again?" Elena asked, bringing her coffee mug to her lips.

"No. I don't think he would want me too. I don't have his last name. He was just looking for a night and that's all I was looking for too. He was hot and fantastic in bed but that was literally his only redeeming quality."

"Well, drink up, we have to open in twenty minutes," Elena said hoping off the counter top with her toast.

"How are you so chipper? You drank as much as I did?" Caroline called out as she closed her bedroom door, peeling her dress off from behind it.

"I did, but I went home alone. I'm battling a hangover, but no regret," she teased, heading for the door. "I'll see you downstairs, twenty minutes, Caroline!"

"Fine, fine, and be a good friend, stop reminding me of my indiscretions."

**ONE MONTH LATER**

Caroline tapped her leg anxiously as she waited for the timer to ding. Elena was no better. She was seated on the edge of Caroline's bathtub, trying and failing to come up with something to say. It was the longest three minutes of Caroline's life.

"Are you going to be okay if you are?" Elena asked.

"I don't even know how to answer that," Caroline shook her head. Both girls jumped when the timer went off. Caroline stood from her seat and walked over to the counter where the test was sitting.

"Well, are you pregnant?"

"According to the stick."

"Well those can be wrong." Caroline picked up the trash can and showed Elena the five positive tests she had taken before calling Elena over to take one with her.

"Damon will never going to stop making bun in the oven jokes will he?"

"Okay well don't panic. You have options. Lots and lots of options," Elena said, beginning to pace the length of the small bathroom in Caroline's apartment. "There's a lot of things you can do. I mean you can have the baby, you can get rid of the baby, domestic adoption, let someone you know raise it. I don't know, Care. You have choices, you don't have to make that choice right now."

Caroline had not moved from her spot on the counter. She was still in some kind of trance. Pregnant. _Pregnant._ It hit her like a freight train. All of the tequila she was no longer allowed to drink and the coffee she was going to have to set aside. All of the sushi she couldn't eat or the clothes sitting in her closet that wouldn't fit in a few months. It was superficial. She knew that, but the moment she thought about the real ways a child would change her life, she was going to cry. She was going to fall apart. She couldn't keep goldfish or plants alive, what the hell was she supposed to do with a baby? Sure she had always wanted kids. She figured when the time was right she would have them. Settled down with a nice husband and a house outside the city, maybe even a dog if her husband wanted one. Her life would be perfectly in order before she had a baby, it would not be now.

She couldn't afford to take time away from the business. The bakery was her baby. She didn't need another one. Her head swirled with all of the possibilities, sinking down to one of the chairs in the living room and resting on her hands as she leaned against her knees. "I don't know, Elena." Her hands ran over her face before she brought her thumb to her lips, biting her nail in a nervous tick. "I really don't know." She pushed herself off the edge of the counter, walking away from the room and dropping the incriminating test in the garbage can.

"You should probably call Tyler," Elena said, following her best friend out of the bathroom. She was trying to be helpful, but truthfully she didn't know what to say. What was the right thing to say under these circumstances? She had never been pregnant; she had never even thought she was pregnant. The only person she knew that had been pregnant while Elena was old enough to recall was her Aunt Jenna and she remembered the woman looking a lot more joyous than Caroline did at the moment. "Maybe telling him right away would lighten the blow? Give him time to warm up to the idea?"

"It's not Tyler's baby," Caroline said, quietly. She sighed again, trying to make sense of it in her head so she could explain it to Elena. "The last time Tyler and I had sex was almost three months ago. It can't be his kid."

"Then who's the father, Caroline?" Elena asked, trying to hide her confusion.

Caroline bit her lip, closing her eyes as she tried to remember the man's name. She was going to hell. That was it, it was over, she was pregnant and she couldn't remember the name of her child's father. "It started with a K or a C," she offered up. "I'm going to be the worst mother ever. One day it's going to ask who it's dad is and that will be my only response. _Well sweetie, I think it started with a K, but it might have been a C. We'll never know will we?_"

"Oh," Elena said. It was strange how much judgment one syllable could hold. After earning a glare from Caroline, she bit her lip. "When was it?"

"That night I dragged you out to the bar opening. The one time in my entire life I do something even slightly questionably and I'm being punished," Caroline said.

"You have to tell him," Elena said firmly.

"I know. I think I still have his card somewhere. I suppose that will put an end to the K verses C debate," she ran her fingers through her curls before standing up, "I should probably get this over with."


	2. Stop and Stare

**Chapter Two – Stop and Stare**

_Stop and Stare  
I think I'm moving but I go nowhere  
Yeah I know that everyone gets scared  
But I've become what I can't be_

_Drip. Drip. Drip._ Each drip of the coffee maker on the other side of the counter sent another jolt through the nerves of Caroline's body. Her fingers tapped against the table anxiously, looking around the unfamiliar coffee shop. She usually made a point not drink coffee anywhere other than her own shop, but she thought this conversation needed to take place on neutral ground. She needed an escape route if necessary. If this didn't go well, which she suspected it wouldn't, she could leave quickly. The text message she had sent him was vague at best. A simple: _I need to see you, when would be good to reconnect_? seemed to suffice but she wouldn't know until he actually showed up. Part of her didn't think he would. It had been a month since their tryst, it did not take a rocket scientist to know what this meeting was about.

She had put this off for nearly a week, hoping that if she ignored the problem it would simply go away. It was not a logical decision, but it was safe to say Caroline was not exactly thinking straight. It was not until she went to the doctor and she confirmed what Caroline had not been able to believe even after six positive pregnancy tests. Six weeks pregnant. The addition of a due date and morning sickness finally brought Caroline into reality.

Her slender fingers wrapped around the white, ceramic mug of decaf in front of her, bringing it to her lips in an effort to dispel her nerves. It was all for nothing the moment the front bell rang and he walked through the door. Her heart was in her throat, was he this attractive the other night? _No, stay on topic, Caroline_, she mentally scolded herself. She gave him a half-hearted smile when his eyes fell on her before he made his way over to the table. He wore the same smirk he had on the night at the bar and it was a bit unsettling.

"Hello..Candice?" he greeted her with uncertain as he slipped into the booth across from her.

"Caroline," she corrected, avoiding eye contact as she took another drink of her coffee.

"Ah, yes, well we weren't much for talking that night, were we?" He gave a devilish smirk before flagging down the waitress and asking for a cup of coffee for himself.

"Would you like another decaf, honey?" the waitress asked Caroline, who politely shook her head. She was almost too nervous to drink the one in her hands.

Once the waitress walked away, Caroline fell under another of Klaus's heated stares, "I know why you are here," he told her with a cocky grin, his eyes following the neckline of her dress before returning to hers. "I am not normally one for playing the same game twice, but I could make an exception for you. Unfortunately, I have to get back to work soon, so we'll have to set a later date. Perhaps a hotel room this time, mix things up?" he raised his eyebrows suggestively, making Caroline choke on her coffee.

"What?" she croaked out. "You thought I was..? and I..? Well this is awkward."

His brows knitted together, "If that's not why you messaged me then what is it that you are after, love?"

Caroline took a deep breath, setting her hands flat against the table. There was no easy way to say it. No matter how much explanation she gave or how she reasoned it, it wasn't something anyone wanted to hear from someone they had only spent one night with. "I'm pregnant," she blurted out, never having been one for doing things delicately. "I know this is probably hard to process considering we only had sex once but-"

"Caroline," Klaus stopped her, "As well rehearsed as I'm sure the speech you are about to give me about how the child you are supposedly carrying is mine and you cannot afford to take care of it on your own, I'm going to stop you and save us both some time. Just because my family is powerful does not mean we'll be taken advantage of by every opportunist in DC. We shared a lovely evening together, but that is all and if you are, in fact, with child, you slept with me after less than five minutes of actual conversation. I'm sure than I'm simply one of many possible contenders for role of father. I, personally, would prefer not to get a call back." He opened his wallet and set a 20 on the table to cover the coffee that he had yet to receive. "If I see any hint at this in the press, it will be my lawyer you are speaking with next, Caroline. It would be in your best interest to stop now."

He began to get up, leaving Caroline in shock. Once her brain had processed what he had said, she quickly got up and followed him out of the café, grabbing his arm when he reached the corner. "First of all, don't ever pretend to know anything about me or my life choices. I don't know who you are or think you are, but I do know that I'm pregnant, the child can only be yours and last time I checked the courteous thing to do was to tell someone they were going to be a parent. Clearly, things have changed since I learned about common courteous," she snapped, keeping her voice low so they didn't make a scene. "If you don't want to be involved, that's fine. I don't want anything from you, but I just thought you should know." She pulled the card out of her purse and handed it to him. "If you change your mind, this is where you can find me, but I think I'd prefer if you didn't." She shot him one last glare before walking past him and disappearing into the depths of the Metro station on the corner.

Caroline was fuming by the time she got back to the bakery. She thought the ride home would help to soothe the anger brewing inside her, but she still found herself slamming doors and the counter top as she slipped into the kitchen. Damon glanced up from the glass he was cleaning behind the bar just in time to see the door to the kitchen swinging wildly in her wake.

The waitress working the register looked from him to the door and back to him, standing behind the counter like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi. "Don't just stand there. Call Elena," Damon ordered. The girl, who just seconds before had been frozen in her spot, raced to the phone as Damon set down the glass and walked through the swinging door into the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow when he walked into the kitchen and didn't see her anywhere, but she quickly immerged from the fridge carrying a huge hunk of dough.

"Asshole," Caroline said, plunging her hand into the dough as hard as she could. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She pushed both of her hands into the dough, pulling it apart and pushing it back together.

"Caroline, is something the matter?" Damon asked, his voice dripping with forced kindness. It wasn't that he didn't like Caroline, he did. She was his little brother's best friend; there was some level of protectiveness there, even if he fought it. "Where were you this morning?"

Caroline looked up from the dough she was currently beating into submission, "Nothing. Nothing is wrong. Everything is perfectly fine and that's why I'm doing this because everything is perfectly okay and jerks at nightclubs get to pretend they did nothing wrong." She moved back to the dough.

Damon raised an eyebrow, before holding his hands up innocently. "I'm just going to let Elena handle this one."

"I mean honestly. He acted like I was trying to extort money out of him. Throwing around how important he is and how people try to do this to him all the time. What is wrong with him?" she all but demanded as the parted the dough and began to work some butter into half of it.

Damon sighed before taking a few steps towards her, "If you are going to keep abusing the dough, you are going to have to give me a reason. Stop talking in riddles."

Caroline shook her head. Damon was the last person she wanted to talk to about this. She wondered if he had ever been on the receiving end of the speech she had given Klaus that morning, though something told her if he had he would have been a bit more understanding than Klaus. Hell, black widows took the news that they were going to be fathers better than Klaus did.

He nodded, "Alright, I'm going to go back to work th-"

"Pregnant. I am pregnant!" she exclaimed. The tears peaked from the corners over her eyes before she pressed the back of her dough covered hand to her forehead.

Jeremy and Tyler picked that exact moment to walk into the kitchen. Tyler's face turned white before he turned abruptly and walked out of the kitchen.

Caroline couldn't help but laugh despite the tears cresting over her bottom lids. "He literally ran from commitment."

Jeremy stood awkwardly in the doorway, trying to figure out what just happened. "Kasey said you were both back here and Elena was on her way, something about you being upset," he said slowly, trying to put the pieces together in his head. "You're pregnant, Care?"

She nodded slowly, moving over to the sink to wash off her hands. "Yes. And if Tyler would have stopped to think for three seconds he would have realized it's been a few months since we broke up and anything happened between the two of us. The baby is obviously not his. In fact, this baby does not have a father because it's father is a British douchebag."

"So that's where you were this morning," Damon thought out loud.

Caroline looked up at the two men standing in front of her and suddenly became incredibly aware of how ridiculous she had been acting since she got home from the meeting with Klaus. She began to pull herself together before offering a little more explanation to the two confused men. "Yes, I made an uncharacteristically stupid decision about a month ago and now I'm pregnant." She looked at Damon, "You are not going to make jokes about it," she threatened, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Now, I need to finish these croissants before the after work rush comes in and you need to finish opening the bar." She turned to look back at Jeremy. "Elena is upstairs. I'm sure she'll be down soon if you want to wait or head up and see her."

Once both men had left her alone in the kitchen, Caroline went back to the dough she had been working a few moments before. This time being a bit gentler with the process. She tried not to think about it all. She didn't need to think about how she was doing this alone or how nothing was ever going to be the same, but the more she tried not to think about it the more impossible it became to think about anything else. It didn't take long for her gentle kneading to becoming a punching match once again.

"What did the bread do to you?" Elena asked as she walked into the kitchen. "Damon said you were upset and I think if you keep slamming things and yelling at the dough Kasey is going to cry. Or worse, quit." She was concerned about Caroline, but also their employee turnover. It was already high enough with Damon sleeping with all of the waitresses and front counter girls then promptly breaking up with them, she didn't need Caroline scaring them off as well.

Caroline looked up from the hunk of dough and shook her head. "He basically refused to even entertain the idea. He told me that since I slept with him the night I met him there is probably a dozen guys that could be the father of this baby and that if I continued trying to say this child was his or went to the press, he would sue me," she said, shaking her head. "Is that even legal?"

"I'm pretty sure you are the one with the rights here. You could sue for paternity and child support," Elena told her, walking over to her with a sympathetic expression. "At least I saw it on a TV show once."

Caroline tried to force a small smile, but she couldn't even muster it, "I don't want to do that. It's not about money. I can do it on my own. I just thought he would want to know. I was trying to do the right thing, but clearly there is nothing about this situation that's right. I'm just going to have to do this alone. I can do it. It's a baby it isn't rocket science. I babysat all through high school. This is just like that. I don't need his help."

"You aren't doing this alone, Care. You have me and Stefan and your mom. You have a lot of people who are more than willing to help you when you need it. You know I love babies. I will babysit in a heartbeat." She smiled, running her hand over Caroline's back.

Caroline groaned, "I don't know who is going to be worse to tell Stefan or my mom. Mom is going to be furious that I was irresponsible enough to get pregnant because this family does not need to be a full line of single mother's and Stefan is going to go the supportive but disappointed route."

"What about your dad?"

"Bill. I've seen him ten times in the last fifteen years. He lost the right to be called Dad, his name is Bill and his only redeeming quality is the fact that his child support checks never bounced," Caroline corrected. "That does not earn him a call, but I might send him a birth announcement."

"Either way. Everything is going to be okay. You can get a nanny or we'll put a pack n'play behind the counter. You aren't alone though. And if the British Asshole, as Damon has dubbed him, doesn't want anything to do with this baby then that's his loss, because if he or she is anything like it's mother, it's going to be one spectacular baby." She moved closer, wrapping her arms around Caroline.

The blonde reciprocated, careful not to touch her doughy hands to Elena's clothes, "Thank you."

"We're just going to take this one step at a time. Everything will be okay," Elena said, pulling away. "But you really do need to call your mom and I think you should probably tell Stefan before Damon does."

"I know, I know." Caroline grumbled. "As soon as I finish this batch."

**A/N: Hi! First of all I want to thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing. Reading your reviews is one of my favorite parts of writing and it really does help me write faster, especially if I know that you all are enjoying what I'm writing. Your response to my first chapter was amazing and I'm grateful to each and every single one of them. So please keep them coming. I love reading what you guys have to say and how you feel about thing. **

**I'm going to try (the keyword being try) to keep a posting schedule of Wednesday and Sunday. So the story will be updated on those days. If I get ambitious I might post more, but it should be at least twice a week. **


	3. Silver Lining

**Chapter Three – Silver Lining**

_And I was your silver lining  
As the story goes  
I was your silver lining  
But now I'm gold_

One bottle of water. Two mints. Three dabs of the most expensive cologne money could buy. Klaus's after lunch drinking method. His job was stressful. Keeping the legal department of the ambassador's office together was not easy, even with both him and Finn at the helm. Drinking on his lengthy lunch hour was common practice for him, unfortunately Finn didn't approve. In order to keep his brother at bay, he had developed the strict after lunch regime. Today, however, he didn't think all of the water, mints, and cologne in the world was going to keep Finn from finding out what he had been up to during his break.

After leaving Caroline standing on the corner of 14th and I, he ducked into the nearest bar and finished his lunch the best way he knew how. The entire idea was preposterous. It was a lie. A well-constructed, perfectly planned lie. The Mikaelson family had been a target for tabloid fodder for years now, and ever since their father had taken the position of British Ambassador to the United States it had gotten much worse. They were always looking for a story. A quick buck and this would certainly do the trick. It didn't stop the card Caroline had given him from weighing heavily in his pocket.

By the time he wandered back into the office, it was _well_ past two. He had missed a meeting, one he was sure Finn had covered for him spectacularly. If he was lucky he would be able to slip back into his office and sleep off the rest of the afternoon at his desk, but the second he heard his older brother's voice, he knew that was not going to be a possibility.

"Niklaus, it's a bit late for lunch isn't it?" Finn asked without looking up from the open manila envelope in his hands.

Klaus sighed, pausing outside the office door. "Yes, Finn. I took a late lunch and got caught up with some business contacts at the Willard. Had a few problems to take care of. I trust that you handled the meeting in my absence?"

Finn looked up at his younger brother's disheveled appearance, letting out a frustrated sigh. He studied him for a moment, silently deciding if the lecture was worth the effort. "I managed. Don't let it happen again."

"It won't happen again," Klaus said, pushing himself away from the doorframe and wandering down the hall towards the safety of his office.

"Oh and Niklaus," Finn spoke, drawing Finn back to his office. "Next time you decide to drink in the middle of a work day, do try to keep it out of the press." He turned his computer monitor so Klaus could see the picture of him sitting in a booth with a bottle of scotch on one of the DC gossip sites. "The last thing we need is another scandal after the Kol fiasco. Father won't like it. Is this another attempt to act out or is there something the matter?"

Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose. He was nearly thirty years old, if he wanted to have a drink with lunch, he would do whatever he damn well pleased and while his older brother was not privy to his afternoon, he deserved one. "You are speaking to the wrong brother. Kol is the one who acts out and what _Mikael_ does or does not like is not my concern. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I have some work to do." He left the door without another word, ducking into his office before anyone else could speak to him. "Maggie, hold my calls, I have a lot of work to do," he told his secretary before closing the door behind him. He closed the blinds, locked the door, and turned off the light before settling into his desk to attempt to forget about everything that Caroline had said to him. He knew he would need to call Elijah and tell him what had happened. His older brother, well the older brother he preferred, ran the PR for the office. Unfortunately, he knew these things turned ugly quickly and he would need to act fast if he was going to put this all behind him. Elijah would need to be informed so he could stay ahead of the story if and when it came to light. If Caroline really wanted money, he knew a simple threat of suit would not stop her. These people would stop at nothing if they had a goal.

He picked up the black phone resting on his desk and dialed his brother's extension. "Elijah, we may have a problem."

| Oh What a Night |

Caroline once again found herself sitting alone at a table, waiting to tell a man she was pregnant. Fortunately, she did not think this could go any worse than it had with Klaus. If anything Stefan would be disappointed, but too nice to say anything about it. That was worse.

Her mother had yelled when she called her. Asked Caroline could be so irresponsible, but after all of that yelling, she had made it clear that she would help in anyway and that she expected to be informed, even going as far as to tell Caroline how excited she was to be a grandmother before the call was through. Stefan was a wild card though and she was nervous.

"I know I complained a lot about being busy with wedding stuff on the phone, but let me thank you for getting me out of there because I don't know how much of the white vs. off-white battle I can handle," Stefan said, flashing her a genuine smile as he leaned down to press a kiss to his best friend's cheek before taking a seat across from her.

"Rebekah finally turned into bridezilla?" Caroline asked, thankful for the break in tension.

"The wedding is in a week, she's just trying to make everything perfect. Plus her father's promotion has brought a lot of attention to the wedding. Apparently the ambassador's daughter getting married is a big deal in DC. The president is coming to our wedding now. Rebekah isn't even happy about it, she's been complaining about how it upset her seating arrangement for nearly a month now," Stefan said, shaking his head.

"Stefan, you can't just spring that on me! The president of the United States is going to be eating a cake I made and you are telling me like that!" she nearly yelped, the panic beginning to rise in her. "I haven't even started yet."

"I would hope not. I don't think cakes are supposed to be made a week before they are intended to be eaten," he said, a smile springing to his lips as he watched the panic form on her expression. "Your cakes are amazing, I don't know why you are worried. It's me who needs to worry. Rebekah's brothers are putting me through the ringer. Finn and Elijah are fine, but Kol and Klaus are giving us both a headache."

Caroline's eyes widened at the name. Rebekah's last name was Mikaelson, and she had a brother named Klaus. She was going to be sick. She thought it was in her head, but quickly realized it was actual sickness, morning sickness to be exact. Without another word, she left the table and darted into the bathroom.

A few moments later, Caroline was standing at the concrete countertop splashing a bit of cold water onto her face as she stood in front of the mirror trying to decide if she looked alright to return to the table. Looking up when she heard the door open, she was surprised to see Stefan standing there.

"Ladies' room, Stefan," she reminded him softly, patting her face dry with a paper towel as he walked towards her.

"Are you feeling alright, Care?" Stefan asked, ignoring her protests as he took another step towards her. "You look a little pale, do you want me to take you home?" His voice filled with concern as a strong hand found her shoulder, steadying her as he looked down.

"I'm fine. Stefan, I have to tell you something," she said, placing the towel in the trash as she looked up at him, "I just need you to not be mad because I've had the worst day, nothing has gone the way I need it to and it's just going to get harder from here on out, especially now with what you've just told me. So even if you are disappointed or frustrated, I'm going to need you to save that until tomorrow."

"Caroline, just tell me," Stefan said softly.

"I'm pregnant. I found out a week ago, but I may have been trying to live in denial since then," Caroline rambled.

"You're having a baby?" Stefan asked, a smile spreading over his face. "I'm going to be an uncle." He pulled a confused Caroline into a tight hug, keeping her close to him. "Why would you ever think I would be mad about this?"

"Because it was stupid and irresponsible and I'm terrified and the baby's father literally hates me," she mumbled against his shoulder, holding onto his shirt.

"It's going to be okay, Caroline. I'm never going to let anything happen to you or that baby. Everything is going to be fine. You know, Bekah and I will be there anyway we can," he assured her, trying to calm her down. He knew her being worked up wasn't good for the baby and knowing Caroline, keeping her calm was going to be the most difficult part of the pregnancy for everyone involved. "And I'm sure Tyler doesn't hate you. It's just kind of a confusing time for him. I doubt he expected this."

Caroline let out a frustrated sigh, "Why does everyone keep assuming Tyler is the father? We broke up months ago." She ran her hands over her face as she pulled away from Stefan. "This is the part I don't want you to get mad about. I didn't know it was him until just now, hence the throwing up, though that may have been the morning sickness, I'm not really sure how all of that works yet, I've only been to the doctor once, but I have to go back in three weeks so I guess I'll ask then. And I should probably-"

"Caroline," Stefan said, gently taking her shoulders, "I know you like to ramble, but now would be a time to get to the point. If the baby's father isn't Tyler, who is it?"

"His name is Klaus Mikaelson. I'm ninety-nine percent sure it's he's Rebekah's older brother. It didn't register until you said his name a few minutes ago and he is a complete and total asshole, which I knew when I slept with him but somehow that didn't deter me," she shook her head, looking up to meet Stefan's confused expression imploring her to give him more information. "It was about a month after Matt and Elena broke up. I dragged her out to a club opening and I started drinking. One drink turned into five and it was getting close to the end of the night. He was standing there and he was hot and I decided that if I made one stupid dumb mistake in my life, it would not end the world. So I slept with him and I know he used a condom, but it must have broken or something, I don't know how these things work, but next thing I know I'm late. I took the test then confirmed it with the doctor."

Stefan took a moment to let it all sink in. He had said he was going to be an uncle, but this made it literal. He didn't quite know what to say, but he could see that his silence was making Caroline more nervous than she already had been. "Alright..." he stalled, trying to think of something to say, "Why do you think he hates you?"

"I called him this morning to tell him about the baby. I didn't think he would be thrilled or anything, but he basically threatened me. Told me he never wanted to hear from me again because he thought I was lying and if I really was pregnant the baby couldn't be his because I slept with him the first night I met him. Then he threatened to sue me if I went to the press, which made no sense this morning because I didn't know who he was but now it does. It still does not excuse him being a complete and total jerk."

"Wait, he threatened you?" Stefan said. Caroline could see the anger beginning to build. He was protective over her, she knew he wouldn't be thrilled.

"Stefan, its fine. I know it's not okay for him to behave that way, but if that's the way he is, I really don't want him to be involved in this process."

"He was part of this, too. He has an obligation. This shouldn't all fall on you."

"I know, but I've only met the man twice, once he was sleeping with me the first night he met me and once he was threatening to sue me. Not the best impression to leave on someone and not exactly father material." She wrinkled her nose, giving him a smile. "It'll be okay. This baby might not have a dad, but it has an Uncle Stefan and I don't know what could possibly be better than that." She leaned in, giving him another tight hug. "Now can we please eat? I'm starving and I have to get you back to Rebekah before she yells at me for keeping you away from bridal central for too long."

He nodded, opening the door for her and leading her out. "Don't even mention going back to the land of tulle," he groaned, helping her into her seat before taking his own across from her.

"Do me a favor? Don't mention this to Rebekah until after the wedding. It's more of a favor for you. You don't need her anymore stressed out than she already is or pretty soon she'll kill you in her sleep."

"It's a little self-serving, but I think I can agree to those terms. Now let's eat."

| Oh What a Night |

"Are you absolutely sure she's lying about this, Niklaus?" Elijah asked once again, adding the _absolutely_ this time. His pacing was making Klaus dizzy as he sat at his desk, waiting for Elijah to tell him what he should or shouldn't do in the future. These types of things were almost always followed by a lecture, which Klaus immediately defied upon leaving.

"There is no way I could possibly know for sure, I did sleep with her, but clearly we were victims of opportunity. The baby, if she really is pregnant, most likely belongs to someone else. It's barely been a month since our one night engagement. It's all a game of numbers, Elijah. Chances are I'm just choice number one on a long list of possible suckers." He pulled his feet from their propped position on the desk and stood to look his brother in the eyes. Despite his vehement objections on the contrary, there was one thing Caroline had said that Klaus could not quite shake. He thought there was no chance of this child being his, but her request for him to stay away from her gave him pause. Enough so that he clarified his stance to Elijah. "No, it's not completely improbable that this child is mine," he admitted.

"Well, regardless of the statistics lesson that I did not ask for, you may have pushed someone who had no intention of suing for child support into it based on sheer anger, not to mention you yelled at a pregnant woman," Elijah spoke, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"If she is pregnant," Klaus corrected.

"I think it's better if we operate under the assumption that she is for now. It'll better prepare us for the potential blow back should this reach the press. Even if she isn't pregnant, threatening someone in a public place is not a good career move for any of us. Even if this Caroline doesn't say anything, someone else may," Elijah explained. "I think it's best if you stay away from Caroline for the time being. It's better for the both of you."

"That will not be a problem. I have no intention of seeking her out," Klaus said, taking a seat on the edge of the desk, relieved Elijah was handling this for him. Clearly his way of doing things did not work. Elijah was the only one who could ever talk any sense into him.

"I don't doubt that, but if you truly think her intentions are less than virtuous, she may seek you out in an attempt to gain some sort of settlement or hush money from you. I'd like to set up a meeting with her, figure out what exactly she is after and see if she would consent to a DNA test once the pregnancy has progressed far enough to do so."

"She gave me her card." Klaus reached into his pocket, fishing out the card and handing it to his older brother.

"Alright, I will give her a call next week and figure out what we're dealing with. I want to get through Rebekah's wedding before I have to deal with this. Father keeps adding people to the guest list. Someone is going to have to tell her." He rubbed his temples. Being responsible for this family's public image was going to put him in an early grave, that much he was certain of.

"Good luck with that."

"No, I'm taking care of this for you. You can tell our dear sister that she needs to rearrange the seating chart once again." He patted his younger brother on the back before exiting his office.


	4. Rescued

**A/N: There were a couple of questions about whether or not Klaus is famous in the last chapter. Now admittedly, I've been watching a lot of Scandal lately and that combined with my prior knowledge of DC has partially inspired this story. In DC, the gossip rags and blogs tend to focus on the politicians. Mikael is the fictional British Ambassador, making his family easy tabloid fodder. **

**Chapter Four – Rescued**

_I can hear it, the jet engine  
Through the center of the storm  
And I'm thinking I'd  
Prefer not to be rescued_

"Are you sure the live stream is set up correctly? Because I can't see anything yet," Caroline asked, pinning the phone between her shoulder and the side of her head as she stirred up another batch of buttercream frosting to touch up the cake with. She put the tiniest drop of red food coloring in the mix, turning the whole thing a pale shade of pink. Rebekah had opted out of a traditional white cake. The six tiered, square cake subtly moved from red to white as it make its way up to match her color scheme. It was too heavy to be constructed and moved so Caroline was stuck in the Historical Society of Washington DC kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the cake while the wedding went on.

"I'm positive, Caroline," Stefan reassured her. "You can't see anything yet because we haven't turned it on, but I watched them set it up and then I checked it myself. You won't miss a thing."

"Good, because if I miss seeing my best friend get married because Rebekah insisted on an extra layer of cake that you won't even need, I am not going to be a happy woman." She began to carefully spoon the light pink mixture into a piping bag so she could finish the florets on the middle layer of the cake.

"Are you sure this isn't too much, Care? A lot of stress isn't good in the first trimester of a pregnancy. I don't want this to be too much on you, I can get someone else out there to help you if you need it?" Stefan offered, straightening his bowtie as he looked in the mirror.

"Alright Doctor Salvatore, last time I checked you were a pediatric intern, not an OB/GYN," she rolled her eyes as she began piping.

"We go over it all in medical school."

"Whatever and no, I absolutely do not want you to send anyone over. I am perfectly capable of making a cake, it's what I do for a living, and if you think I'm going to trust anyone else with my best friend's wedding cake, you are absolutely insane. This is my job and I will be damned if anyone else does it. This wedding cake is going to be the most memorable part of your wedding," she said with determination, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she perfectly placed each dab of frosting.

"I think I would prefer if the wedding was the most memorable part of the wedding," Stefan said with a chuckle.

"Well, too bad. This is going to be the best damn cake anyone has ever made. Now I need to get work and you need to get married. I love you and I'm sure you look perfect, but make sure your tie is straight. Bring an extra handkerchief to give to Rebekah when she starts crying. It's a small gesture, but she'll remember if for the rest of her life."

"I love you too. Save a dance for me, okay?"

"Okay." She hung up the phone and placed it back in her pocket before moving back to the cake. As much as she wanted to be there, she knew things were probably better this way. She still hadn't figured out how to deal with Klaus and her hormones were all over the place. She had started crying the moment she woke up upon realizing Stefan was getting married today.

As excited as she was for him and Rebekah, the idea of dealing with Klaus was ruining it for her. Her plan was simple. She would deliver the cake then sit at her table and avoid him. She could have fun at the wedding without dealing with Klaus and that was exactly what she planned on doing.

"Am I interrupting?" Liz asked, as she walked into the kitchen, peeking her head around the corner.

Caroline smiled, thankful for the distraction, "Mom, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the wedding?"

"You will be watching it on the screen, I thought I could too, and then you don't have to be alone," Liz offered, pulling a chair over to where Caroline was working, "How are you feeling?"

"You don't have to do that, but I appreciate the company," she said with a small smile as she finished the third layer and moved on to the fourth. "I'm fine. A little tired, but the doctor said that's normal. Thankfully, I am not feeling the full force of my usual morning sickness this morning so I can get this done without throwing up every five minutes."

"You know when I was pregnant with you, I had terrible morning sickness, the only thing that helped was lying flat on my back and sucking on lemon wedges," Liz said, looking over at the petite blonde.

Caroline winced, "That's promising. Let's hope I don't have to resort to that." She shook her head, preparing to pipe on the next bag of frosting. "So far lying down and crackers seem to be helping, but I've only known I was pregnant for two weeks so we'll have to see if it gets better or worse from here. At least I have a bakery at my disposal when cravings hit. Though right about now I think I could use the bar."

Liz sighed, leaning forward into her daughter. "I know I was a little rough on you with on the phone last week, but I do mean what I said. I'm here for you. I know it's not going to be easy to do this on your own. Being a single mom is really hard, but you'll get through it. Just like I did." She kissed the top of her head before backing away so Caroline would get back to work. She finished the fourth tier of the cake before the wedding began on the screen.

| Oh What a Night |

"I think I need a drink," Klaus mumbled to Elijah as they walked away from the back of the ceremony site. Rebekah and Stefan had disappeared off to take pictures leaving the rest of the wedding party and guests to their own devices during cocktail hour.

Elijah took hold of his arm and prevented him from walking towards the bar. "I know you've had a stressful week, but I don't believe getting drunk at our little sister's wedding is such a good idea. Rebekah would be none too pleased."

"Isn't dishonorable amounts of alcohol at a family member's wedding a rite of passage?" Klaus questioned, picking up a champagne glass from the trays that were circulating around the cocktail and reception area.

"Not when you are already stressed out. I'm not telling you not to toast, but tensions are already high, you have too many business contacts here for a scene to be made. Just lay low and keep things professional. I'm only trying to help."

"I'm aware," Klaus drawled, refraining from rolling his eyes as he brought the champagne glass to his lips and downed it in one long gulp. His eyes scanned the crowd before falling upon one person in particular. Caroline was still the most beautiful woman in the room. She was magnet, but unlike the night in the bar, his eyes filled with anger instead of lust. "I have to take care of something." He handed his now empty glass off to Elijah before marching towards Caroline.

"Can you please go check on the cupcakes? Make sure they are in the done and on their way out. I just touched up the cake and they are moving it out now. Make sure the caterers don't mess it up on the way out," Caroline requested before sending Kasey on her way and looking around to make sure that Rebekah and Stefan were not even close to making their big entrance.

"We need to speak in private," Klaus said, his hand wrapping around her arm as he half led, half dragged her into the outer hallway of the Historical Society building.

"You're hurting me," she complained. The second she mentioned it, he dropped her arm, a flash of guilt crossing his face before returning to his previous anger. She rubbed the spot he had grasped as he closed the door behind them. "What are you doing? I thought you said all you had to say last week." She crossed her arms looking up at him. She really didn't have time for this. She needed to check the cake over one last time before allowing it to be taken out.

"This is my little sister's wedding, I don't know what angle you are working or how in the world, you got in here, but I have no problem kicking you out myself or if you'd prefer I can get security to do it for –"

"Everything okay, Barbie?" Damon asked, slipping in the door and looking at the two of them.

"None of your concern, Damon," Klaus spoke, trying to get rid of him so he could continue his quest to get rid of Caroline.

Damon squinted his eyes in thought before things began to click in his mind. "You're the British Douchebag," he repeated Caroline's colorful description of her baby's father from a few days prior.

"Excuse me?" Klaus asked, his brows furrowing. He shook it off a few moments later, trying to return to his previous mission, "If you'll excuse us, we have some business to take care of, then this young woman here will be on her way."

Damon looked from Klaus to Caroline, then to the red mark on Caroline's arm and cursed under his breath, hating himself for actually caring. Reluctantly, he wrapped a protective arm around Caroline and pulled the pregnant blonde closer to his side. "I don't think Caroline is going anywhere. In case you didn't know, she's pregnant and you aren't supposed to touch women, especially pregnant women, like that." He pointed at her arm. "I don't know why Caroline would leave before she gets a chance to serve the wedding cake she made or see the groom. Stefan would be awfully disappointed if his best friend wasn't here when he and Rebekah walked in."

Klaus swallowed harshly at the accusation, his eyes falling on the mark he had not intended to put on Caroline's arm before looking back up at her, "It was not my intent to-"

"Look, I got your message loud and clear a week ago. If you don't want anything to do with me or this baby, that's fine, but I have just as much right to be here as you. Stefan has been my best friend since Kindergarten. I have to go check on the cake before Stefan and Rebekah get here," she said, making her self clear. "Thank you," she said softly looking up at Damon before rushing off to take care of the cake.

"Stop fucking up, _brother-in-law_," Damon let the new title roll off his tongue before patting Klaus on the chest and walking away.

| Oh What a Night |

Caroline got back to the kitchen just in time to give the cake a quick once over before it was rolled out. Everything was perfect. She had to admit it was some of her best work, which was good considering how much potential work was present this evening. If she was being honest that hadn't crossed her mind. She happy for Stefan, that was what mattered the most.

From her spot near the steps of the massive stone building, she could hear cheering and whistling. She scanned over the crowd, a smile found her lips as she saw Stefan and Rebekah step out of a car on the other side of the courtyard. He looked so happy. The grin was permanently etched on his features as he turned back to help Rebekah out of the limo. She looked beautiful, beaming with excitement as they paused for a kiss before proceeding into the reception area.

Caroline could feel the tears welling up in her eyes once again. She had cried watching the wedding, it was inevitable. She always cried during weddings and Stefan's would be no exception, but these tears were very different. They were tears of loss and acceptance. She wasn't losing Stefan, he would always be there for her, but she was losing this life. She was never going to have the fairytale wedding or the perfect match. No one was ever going to look at her like Stefan looked at Rebekah, like she was someone's entire world and they would be lost without her. She had seen it in her mother growing up; she practically lived like a monk. She had only seen her go on a handful of dates in the fifteen years since her father packed his bags and left and none of them went anywhere. She was always trying to make sure Caroline was okay. That was what being a mom was about. Putting your child first. Sacrifice.

She sighed, wiping her eyes and sliding her hand over her stomach. "It's just me and you, kid. I hope you're okay with that." She whispered before letting her hand drop as she saw Elena approaching her.

"Hey are you alright? Damon said he saw you and Klaus getting into it earlier," she asked, her voice growing more concern as she saw the fresh tears on Caroline's cheeks.

The blonde shook her head half-heartedly before reaching up to wipe away the remaining tears, "I'm fine. It's just weddings make me emotional and I'm already emotional. Klaus being a jerk is nothing new. Running into him today was inevitable, now that it's over, I won't have to deal with him again if things go my way."

"Well, that's good. I really don't like him," she sighed, handing Caroline a tissue. "Are you sure you're okay though. It looks like something else?" she questioned, studying her friend's face.

"I'll be okay. Weddings, you know?" she tried a light hearted laugh, but it came out a bit strangled with her tears. She glanced over Elena's shoulder as "_I Can't Help Falling In Love With You_" by Ingrid Michaelson filled the ballroom. Stefan was holding Rebekah close as the two of them floated across the dance floor in the setting sunlight. She felt the tears rising in her throat once again and she quickly tried to dismiss them. "I think I'm going to head home though. It's been a long day already and I'm really tired." She gave Elena a small smile.

"Do you want me to go with you? I don't mind, I'm just awkwardly sitting at the singles table anyway," Elena offered.

Caroline quickly shook her head, "No. Stay. Enjoy. Try to meet someone and have some fun, but not too much fun or you will end up like me and in bed by nine. Just give Stefan a hug for me and tell him I'll see him after the honeymoon. Oh and let my mom know I went back to my apartment." Elena nodded before letting her walk away.

Caroline had barely made it to the curb when she heard someone one coming up behind her. "You didn't think I was going to let you go home alone, did you?" Liz asked, tugging Caroline's jacket tighter around her shoulders before wrapping her arm around her. "The Valet is already bringing my car around. We'll get you home."

Caroline nodded, walking with Liz to the front of the building where the older woman's police cruiser was waiting for them. "You valeted your police car?" Caroline chuckled.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Liz asked, picking up the keys from the valet's hand and sliding into the driver's seat. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright. Just tired. Do you think Stefan will be mad I left before anything happened?"

"I think he'll more than understand, Sweetheart. It's a long day. Elena said you got into a fight with the baby's father. Everything okay? I don't need to go back in there and have a word with him, do I?" Liz asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked away from the road to look at Caroline.

"No, its fine, Mom. He's Stefan's brother-in-law. We don't need another scene at this wedding. Rebekah will hunt me down and murder me if I ruin her wedding. We're just lucky the argument was during cocktail hour and the happy couple had not arrived yet. Rebekah is scary when she's mad," Caroline said, sinking into the passenger's seat.

"What about the baby's father?"

"Klaus. His name is Klaus," she sighed. The last thing she needed was for Klaus and her mother to meet. Liz was over protective to a fault, that didn't exactly mix well with her badge and gun. Liz meeting Klaus was a bad idea, especially considering Caroline didn't expect him to be in her life very much longer. "And I don't know if calling him the baby's father is a good idea. He doesn't want to be involved and I don't want to make him. That's the last thing I want. He's just not going to be a part of my life and its better that way. The baby will be just fine with a mom who loves him or her, I know I was." Caroline glanced over at her mother, shooting her a smile.

| Oh What a Night |

"I thought we spoke about excessive drinking and how that may not be the best idea," Elijah said once he finally tracked his brother down. Klaus was seated at a corner table with a plethora of different sized glasses sitting in front of him. All casualties in his effort to drink all of the alcohol at the reception. He seemed to finally settled on a bottle of Scotch, nursing it even as Elijah walked towards the table.

"I don't think she's lying, Elijah."


	5. Little Talks

**Chapter Five – Little Talks**

_There's an old voice in my head  
That's holding me back  
Well tell her that I miss  
Our little talks_

"Thank you for meeting me, Caroline," Elijah said after pulling out her chair for her and helping her move into the table once again. It had been two weeks since the incident at the wedding. After Klaus drunkenly told him about the confrontation and Damon's intervention, he decided it was best to give Caroline some time to cool off and settle before talking to her about legal matters and finding out exactly where her head was at.

Elijah was still rightly angry at Klaus for the entire matter. It was bad enough that he had taken the misstep in the first place, but his lack of regard for the situation made Elijah's job that much harder. Even if Caroline had been lying, she was pregnant and his brother's behavior had been appalling. At this point, he wouldn't blame Caroline for suing them, he could only do damage control and hope for the best outcome of the situation.

"It's no problem, Elijah, but like I said on the phone. I'm not planning on suing your family and I don't want anything," Caroline said, reaching for the water glass that was already sitting on the table.

"Regardless, I thought you were owed a personal apology. My brother's behavior was inexcusable. I'd like to extend our deepest apologies. I know that our new brother-in-law and younger sister are quite fond of you, I would hate for Niklaus's behavior to negatively impact those relationships," Elijah spoke sincerely.

"You're right. The way your brother has treated me is completely out of line, but that would never affect my friendship with Stefan and Rebekah. I mean, Klaus never came up before all of this," Caroline sighed.

"Well, unfortunately, it appears Klaus will be a fixture in your life for the next eighteen years. I'm afraid you are a bit stuck."

"Not necessarily," she pointed out, taking a moment to glance over the menu before the waiter came. Being pregnant was a double-edged sword when it came to food. On one hand, everything looked delicious and she was hungry constantly, on the other, she was still learning to work around her new food aversions and remembering what she could and could not eat. She did not realize her statement had been so controversial until she looked up at Elijah's taken back expression. "I just mean that Klaus has made it very clear that he wants nothing to do with this baby or I and I'm just fine with that. I told him about the pregnancy as a courtesy in case he wanted to be involved. I wouldn't shut him out of his child's life, but I wouldn't make him be involved either. I grew up with a dad who didn't want to be there and I knew it. I don't want this baby to feel that way."

Elijah watched as her hand came to rest on her stomach. It dawned on him for the first time that this child they were speaking about like a business transaction was his niece or nephew. "No one would want to make the child feel that way, Caroline," he assured her as the waiter came to take their order. He placed his water glass aside and looked across the table at Caroline. He intended on asking her more questions about her plans with the child and if she needed monetary support, but then he thought better of it. Instead he decided taking this opportunity to get to know her better would be the best use of his time. Regardless of how Klaus felt about the issue, Caroline was now a part of their family, albeit disjointed. "So what is it that you do Caroline? You made the cake at Rebekah's wedding, so I assume something in that field."

She was a little confused when he asked a question that centered on her and not the baby, but she opted to answer it. She was still a bit guarded around him. She could not help it after the way Klaus had spoken to her and the threats he had dished out in their limited time together. There was something trustworthy about Elijah though, she could not quite put her finger on it. "I own a bakery bar with a longtime friend. Stefan's brother Damon manages the bar, I run the kitchen, and Elena handles the business."

"Well, you are excellent at your craft. The cake you made for Rebekah's wedding was delicious not to mention lovely to look at. I'll have to keep you in mind the next time my mother throws one of her painfully boring parties. Your pastries would give me something to look forward to," he said, offering her a smile. The lunch began tense at best, but it eased as time went on.

"That would be nice of you. I would think your family would want me as far away as possible given the possibility of scandal. Klaus made that pretty clear," she said, pausing to take another bite of her pasta. "For what its worth, and I don't know if you will believe me since your brother doesn't seem to, I didn't know who he was that night in the club. I didn't even know who he was when I told him I was pregnant. Stefan is the one who told me Rebekah had a brother named Klaus. I didn't put it together until then. I have no intention of exploiting your family. I'm guessing you invited me to lunch to find out just that."

Elijah sighed, setting down the fork he had just picked up. It was his intention, but he didn't want to make Caroline feel like a liability. "Protecting my family from damage to their image and reputations as well as exploitation is my job. However, I do not feel you fall into that category, Caroline. This is not a situation that you or my brother intended to land yourselves in when you partook in your evening two months ago. It is unfair for the responsibility to fall solely on you. I understand that you are not seeking anything from us, but I still feel that at the very least, you should be made to feel comfortable asking for help from us should you need it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card, writing down another number on it before sliding it across the table to her. "This is how you can reach me, office and cell. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me. And, if you don't mind, you could keep me updated with the pregnancy. If anything major comes up or any testing needs to be done, that way I can get Niklaus's full cooperation in order."

Caroline thought for a moment as she tucked the card into her purse. "I suppose I could do that," she agreed a bit reluctantly.

"Also, I plan on talking to my younger brother about his reprehensible behavior. I fear he may have acted out of fear and anger over the suddenness of the situation. Now that he's had time to sit with the idea, I feel he will handle things better," Elijah assured her.

She smiled, nodding, "Thank you. That actually makes me feel a lot better." She began to search through her purser for her wallet, "I don't mean to eat and run, but I actually have a doctor's appointment to get to. I'm meeting Stefan at the hospital." She pulled out her wallet.

"It's more than alright. Ten weeks? That's when you can hear the heartbeat correct?" he asked before waving his hand, "Put that away, I've already covered the bill."

"Well, you didn't have to do that," she said, frowning for a moment for letting it go. "Yes, I'm pretty excited for that. How did you know?" she asked curiously.

"Our eldest brother Finn and his wife Sage have several children, a boy and two girls. This is not the first pregnancy this family has been through."

Caroline slipped her sweater over her shoulders and prepared to stand from the table. "Well, thank you for lunch. I'll let you know if anything comes up at the appointment that you or Klaus need to be aware of." She offered him one last smile before walking out of the restaurant and dropping into the Metro.

Stefan was already waiting for her in the hospital lobby, donned in his white lab coat, when Caroline walked in. She smiled, making her way over to him before he pulled her into a hug. "You look handsome and tan. How was Ibiza?"

"It was beautiful, not that we saw all that much of it," Stefan said, wrapping his arm around Caroline and beginning to lead her to the elevator so they could go down to the Obstetrics department.

"Too much information, Stefan." Caroline wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Anyway," Stefan said with a chuckle, pressing the correct button. "We had a great time. Now Rebekah is just stressing out about getting the thank you notes out in time. I'm not sure why she's so stressed out about it. She could just walk into her father's office and make her secretary do it like she did with the wedding invitations."

"I was wondering how she got them out so quickly," Caroline said as they began down a winding hallway towards the office. "Are you sure you don't mind going with me today? Aren't you supposed to be working or something?"

"Yes, but I do have a break and there's no way I would let you do this by yourself. A lot of stuff happens on the tenth week. I want to make sure you ask the right questions," Stefan said, opening the door for her as they walked into the office.

"Again, you are not an obstetrician. You are a pediatrician, I don't see how you'll be very helpful here," Caroline teased, signing in before taking a seat on one of the couches.

"And again, we go over it all in medical school. I know what I'm doing," he shook his head, taking the seat next to her.

"I think I'm starting to show a little," Caroline commented, flattening out her shirt against her stomach and smoothing her hand down the nonexistent bump. "Maybe just a little. Or maybe it's all in my head."

"You are not showing. The baby is the size of a kumquat right now. If you were already showing there would be a problem, especially with your first pregnancy."

"A kumquat? Where did you pull that from? I don't think I've ever even seen one, let alone know how big it is to compare it to the size of my unborn child," she scoffed.

"It's in the book," he flashed her a grin.

"Mr. and Mrs. Forbes?" The nurse called out, bringing their attention back to the reason why they were here.

"It's Ms. Forbes actually," Caroline corrected, standing up and walking into the room, Stefan following behind her. The two of them were led back into a small exam room, before the nurse handed Caroline a gown to change into. "You can come in now Stefan," she told him once she was settled into the chair with the sheet over her waist like she was told.

"How are you feeling? Are you excited about it?" Stefan asked, taking a seat on one of the chairs next to the chair.

"I'm fine. I'm more nervous. I just want everything to be okay. I mean, I was reading online about how many different things can go wrong during the first trimester. You can have a miscarriage and not even know about it. They might not find a heartbeat. It could be a hysterical pregnancy," she rambled, resting one hand behind her head as she looked over at him.

"Caroline, what did we say about WebMD?" he asked, giving her a look.

"That it's not accurate and I shouldn't self-diagnose," she repeated back to him as she had many times before. "But it wasn't WebMD, it was a website specifically for first time mothers. It was legitimate, it had the American Medical Association seal on it."

"They are all the same though, Care. It's a forum that anyone can post on. And worrying too much about all the things that can go wrong is counterproductive. Worrying and stress are the highest cause of miscarriage, so just relax." He reached up and took her hand.

"Great, now I'm worrying about worrying. This is not going to end well, Stefan," she grumbled as she laced her fingers with his, giving his hand a squeeze. She was thankful when he returned it, the little gesture making her feel infinitely better.

They both looked up at the door when the knock came, watching as the doctor opened the door. "How are you feeling today, Caroline?" Dr. Fell asked as she walked over to them.

"I'm okay, just anxious. I want to make sure everything is alright," Caroline said, looking up at the doctor.

"Well, your blood work from your last appointment came back perfectly fine so I'm sure everything will be alright. Though I would like to get a little more family history on the father of the child, that way I know more of the potential risks we should be looking out and testing for. I can send you home with the forms if you'd like."

"That would probably be the easiest," Caroline commented, deciding not to get into the details of how complicated her situation was.

"Great. Let's begin."

The exam went on without a hitch; each measurement was right on course with where she should be and each test came out normal. It all led up to the part of this visit Caroline was most looking forward to. Dr. Fell pulled out a small wand and applied a bit of gel to it before touching it to Caroline's stomach. She moved it around until the image on the screen began to pulse and move. Adjusting she brought the small squiggly shape into focus and Caroline had to bite her lip to keep in the whimper that was threatening to escape. It was her baby. Her little dot. The heartbeat pulsed at what Dr. Fell and Stefan both assured her was a normal rhythm, letting them all know that everything was okay.

"You can set up your next appointment with the front desk. I'll see you next month, Caroline. Feel free to call in between if you have any more questions and Stefan is right. Avoid WebMD. You're only going to scare yourself more," the doctor assured her before making her way out of the exam room.

"You okay?" Stefan asked, looking down at Caroline's misty eyes as she looked at the picture in her hands.

"Yeah, I just can't believe this is actually happening," she said, sighing as she reached up to wipe her eyes.

"You're going to be a good mom, Care." Stefan smiled at her before exiting the room leaving Caroline to get dressed.

Once he had put Caroline in a cab on her way home, Stefan headed over to the British embassy. Damon had waited until Stefan and Rebekah returned from their honeymoon to inform him of what had happened between Caroline and Klaus at the wedding and to say he was fuming would be an understatement. He hid it well in front of Caroline, she didn't need any more stress in her life, but as soon as he made it through security, he marched into Klaus's office without preamble. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You're going to have to clarify, Stefan?" Klaus spoke, barely looking up from the paperwork on his desk.

"Caroline. Caroline is exactly what I'm talking about. I tried to let it go when you threatened her the first time. Call it courtesy since we weren't yet family, but you tried to have her thrown out of my wedding?" Stefan pressed his hands against Klaus's desk, looking down at the older man. "She's pregnant. The last thing she needs is you stressing her out."

"I trust she's doing just fine or you wouldn't be standing on the other side of that desk."

"She is and no thanks to you. I just came from her doctor's appointment. Your kid is healthy." He tossed the ultrasound picture down on the desk right under Klaus's nose.

It was the first hard evidence Klaus had seen of the pregnancy. It was not that he had not believed her after the wedding, but it was much different when the evidence was in his hands. Concrete, real, the child was really there, growing and it hit him like a time bomb. The ticking would drive him mad as he waited the next eight months for this child to arrive.

"Now Caroline doesn't want you to do anything you don't want to do because she's a good person, who doesn't deserve to be treated like this, especially by you, but I'm not letting you off the hook that easily. This is your baby." He pointed to the photo now in Klaus's hands. "The very least you can do is make nice with Caroline. Apologize. Don't be horrible to her. She didn't get pregnant all by herself, you were there and more than willing. You are just as responsible as she is. Start acting like it," Stefan snapped before making his way out of the office.

Klaus sat behind his desk for a few moments, his eyes transfixed on the piece of paper in his hands. "How did it go?" he asked as Elijah made his way into Klaus's office replacing Stefan's presence.

The eldest Mikaelson set his leather briefcase down on Klaus's desk before taking a seat on the edge, "I don't think you could have picked a nicer girl to impregnate, Niklaus." He looked down at his brother with a look of repressed anger. "You treated the girl like a common criminal. At the very least you owe her an apology. Mine will not suffice for you."

"What was I supposed to think, Elijah?" Klaus asked, his voice raising automatically in defense. He was already on edge from Stefan's verbal attack and his lack of response to his words. "Am I supposed to treat every beggar off the street like a trusted friend? That doesn't seem like good business Elijah."

"I'm saying you should use some discretion. You are lucky she's such a kind individual. After your behavior at the wedding you are lucky she's not suing us or speaking to every tabloid who will listen to her," Elijah said, rubbing his temple in frustration. "This is a child, a child you may not want but you still had a hand in creating. You cannot act like it's not happening. It's happening whether you like it or not. I cannot make you be a father, but the very least you can do is apologize to Caroline for your mistreatment of her. She is a person, not a warm body in your bed. Whether you like it or not, she's pregnant with a Mikaelson. Making peace would be in your best interest, brother."


	6. Guarded

**Chapter Six – Guarded**

_And I can't be with you  
I don't even want to  
I just wish your ghosts were gone  
But I won't be free  
Until I've made peace with never knowing  
What went wrong and was the fault in me_

"Are you sure you can't come in?" Caroline asked as she pressed the phone to her ear. Her hands gripped pan as she placed another batch of uncooked scones into the oven. Since the sheer smell of blueberries sent Caroline running to empty her stomach these days, Caroline had been filling the front displays with all things cranberry and orange these days. Thankfully, her aversion had not scared off any customers, most of which were regulars and happy for her when she told them about her new addition.

"I'm sorry, Barbie. I wasn't expecting to come down with the flu," Damon grumbled into the phone, making Caroline sigh in frustration.

"I seem to remember you going to a Bon Jovi concert with a bottle of Pepto-Bismol in college because you didn't want to miss it even though you were practically on your death bed," Caroline said, shaking her head.

"Yes, but that was different. Besides, you are pregnant and you should not be exposing your child to viruses," Damon pointed out, throwing out an almost comical cough. Caroline had a sneaking suspicion that he was faking, but she didn't have the energy to argue with him right now.

"I know, I know. It's okay, just get better. Elena is off tonight. I'll see if I can get Kasey to come in and work the counter and I'll bartend tonight," she said, trying to come up with some kind of plan of action.

"When was the last time you tended bar?" Damon asked.

"It's been a minute, but it'll be okay. It's like riding a bike, it will all come back to me one piece at a time. It's not like anyone gets super creative with their ordering. It's just beers and sometimes wine. I think I'll be okay. I'll do it until I can get one of the other bartenders to come in," Caroline said, grabbing the oven mitts and pulling out another tray of chocolate chip cookies to put in the front display before she needed to open the bar. "I'll figure it all out. Just get some sleep and feel better. I need you here tomorrow."

"Will do, Blondie."

Once the next batch was in the oven, Caroline did what needed to be done. Damon being sick did not do wonders for her stress level, something the doctor had warned her about, but it was something she could handle. She called Kasey and asked her to come in and cover the counter while she dealt with the bar and began to wash down the glasses and bring everything up to where it needed to be. She picked up an apron, wrapping it around her waist and tying it off behind her back, before stepping behind the bar. It wasn't as hard as she remembered it being. Then again, it was two o'clock on a Thursday. The bar and bakery were practically empty save for retired couple who came in every afternoon around this time for a cupcake and two cups of coffee. Caroline loved them. There was something so sweet about it. She spoke to them often; enough to know that they were eighty-nine and ninety-one and they had been married for seventy years. He still held her hand and opened the door for her each afternoon, giving Caroline a little bit of hope for the future. She topped off their mugs before heading back to the bar to wipe it down for the fifth time.

"Well, you look pretty good for knocked up. I was expecting a whale," Katherine spoke, a mischievous smile spreading across her lips as she set her bag on the bar.

"I'm only twelve weeks. The baby would have to be a giant for me to be showing already. Give it a month or two, I'm sure I'm be the size of the sun," Caroline said, shaking her head. She moved out from behind the bar to walk over and give Katherine a hug. It had been a while since she had seen the other Gilbert girl. "Elena didn't tell me you were coming for a visit."

"She doesn't know. I didn't get a chance to tell her before I got on the plane. Just Jeremy. I'm staying with him and Tyler until I find my own place," Katherine explained, causing Caroline to raise an eyebrow. Katherine sat down in one of the bar stools, running a hand through her auburn curls, "I could use a drink actually."

"Own place? Are you and Trevor moving to DC?" she asked, placing a glass in front and pouring out her preferred poison, bourbon.

"Just me," Katherine stated, picking up the glass and taking a long sip from it before looking up to meet Caroline's confused look. "I'm moving back. We decided that things were not working. It's not a big deal, I'm entirely over it. New York was getting boring anyway. DC has much more trouble for me to get into without someone tying me down." She picked up her glass, finishing the rest of it.

Caroline nodded, "Sounds like you have everything figured out then." Caroline refilled her glass before setting the bottle back with the rest.

"I do. Everything but a job, which is why I'm here. Jeremy said something about you needing another bartender when he picked me up from the airport. I figured it was worth a shot. It's a bit of a specialty of mine." Her perfectly manicured nails tapped against the bar as Caroline considered her offer.

"You have to clear it with Elena. She's in charge of all the hiring and business stuff. I think it's a fantastic idea," Caroline beamed, resting her hands against the counter. "Damon called in sick today, though something tells me that he's not actually sick and it's stressing me out even more." She moved away from Katherine when two other people walked in and took a seat at the bar. The blonde walked over to serve them, ignoring the ding of another customer walking through the door. Katherine eyed the blond man suspiciously as he made his way over to the counter, his eyes trained on Caroline.

"Well isn't this charming? The mother of my unborn child slinging drinks behind a bar. It's tarnishing the Virgin Mary image that Elijah tried to paint of you after your lunch," Klaus spoke once he was within ear shot of Caroline.

Caroline shot him a look before looking to Katherine. "Actually, I'll talk to Elena. Why don't you start now? I'll be back in a few minutes." She untied her apron and laid it on the counter calmly, trying not to alarm the customers who were seated in her vicinity. _Calm, Caroline. Calm_, she reminded herself as she led Klaus down the hall to the office that she and Elena (mostly Elena) shared.

"You know when I saw your card, I assumed you were a baker not a bartender," Klaus spoke again as Caroline closed the door behind the two of them.

"I'm not a bartender. My bartender called in sick and I couldn't get another one in here for a while, though Katherine just solved my problem," she said mostly to herself before shaking the thought away. "Not that it's any of your business, but this is my bakery. I own it. So I know you seem to think I'm after your money, but I'm not. I might not be as rich as the Mikaelson's but I think I'm doing pretty okay on my own and it's not daddy's money either. I did it on my own." She looked up at him, her arms folding over her chest challengingly. She leaned back against the edge of Elena's desk. "What are you doing here anyway?"

He tensed at her accusation before remembering why he was there. He wouldn't let her rattle him. Elijah wasn't going to let up until he got this over with, as ill-fated as he knew it would be. "I came to apologize for me abhorring behavior. This-" he paused, motioning to her flat stomach "-is clearly happening. The sooner it's accepted, the sooner we can figure out how to deal with it."

"It's a baby. It's not a problem to be dealt with." Her temper flared as her arms fell from her chest to wrap slightly lower, protectively around her lower stomach. It was a reflex, her baby didn't even have ears yet and she was trying to protect it from his words. "I don't know how many times I can tell you that I am not requiring your assistance. I don't want to be one of those girls that is always calling and bothering the father of their child to do more and pay more." She shook her head, her body relaxing as she got to her point. "Please just make up your mind or leave me be."

"It's not..." Klaus began before pausing. He looked down at the blonde in front of him and while he was still wrapping his mind around it, the simple truth was beginning to shine through. She was pregnant with his child and whether he liked it or not, whether he was _ready_ _for it_ or not, it was happening and punishing Caroline for their joint mistake wouldn't get them anywhere. It just meant he was being the one thing he never wanted to be, Mikael. He cracked his neck from side to side, clearly hesitating before what he was about to say. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you at Rebekah's wedding and the days before. I thought perhaps it would be a good idea for the two of us to have a meal together and discuss the details that need to be discussed. I do not wish to cause you any more stress as Elijah has informed me that stress is not good for the...child." He had to force the word from his mouth.

She stared at him in disbelief for a moment before nodding her head hesitantly. It was against her better judgment, but she couldn't deny him the chance when she saw the genuine interest flash across his face. Her arms fell to her sides as she took a deep breath, "Tomorrow is my day off. I'll meet you at Vidalia at six. We can talk about things then. I really do need to get back to work."

"As do I," Klaus spoke as Caroline opened the door. He opened his mouth to say more, but opted against it. Choosing instead to walk out of the room, leaving Caroline alone in the room.

She took a moment to collect herself before returning to the front counter where Katherine was serving a few boys she was certain were underage. Caroline shot her a look before the brunette held her hands up in mock innocence. "I'd like to keep our liquor license, thank you." Caroline took the beers from the two boys, both of whom she was certain were no older than eighteen.

"We paid for those," one of the boys told her.

"And I thank you for the hush money, I won't be turning you in for underage drinking. Now go do your homework," Caroline said, shooing both of the boys out of the bar. She looked back to Katherine, "No serving underage boys. I'm pretty sure that's a felony no matter what the reasoning is. That's rule one."

"All work and no play. When did you become this boring?" Katherine asked.

"Oh somewhere between my fiancée leaving me for your little brother and Stefan's brother-in-law getting me pregnant, but who knows." She flashed Katherine a sarcastic smile before leaning against the counter.

"So was that who that was? Your baby daddy?"

Caroline cringed internally at the phrase, "That was Klaus, he's the father of my child, yes."

"Piece of ass. You chose well."

"I didn't choose, he knocked me up," Caroline scoffed. "Anyway, I have to put some more cupcakes in the oven. No more serving teenage boys. I'll talk to Elena about getting your paperwork in order after the cupcakes are done. It's good to have you back." She gave Katherine a smile before disappearing into the kitchen.

Once she was alone in the kitchen, Caroline began to think about what had just happened. Was the next night a good idea? Her life was already complicated enough. Work and the baby. She had just wrapped her head around the idea of being a mom and now Klaus wanted to be involved. Although his speech had been anything but clear. Part of her wondered if he was only doing this because his older brother had required it of him. She just wanted uncomplicated, well, as uncomplicated as she could have considering she was twenty-five, single, and pregnant with the child of a man who may or may not hate her. Not complicated at all. She sighed, placing the frosting mix under the Kitchen aid mixer and turning it on.

"Caroline, do you have a minute?" She turned from her spot at the counter and raised an eyebrow when she saw Tyler standing there in front of the swinging door that led to the kitchen.

She paused to check the timer on the oven, "I have three minutes," she said, attempting a joke. She tried to dispel the awkward air between the two of them but it did little to that effect. Instead, she turned the speed on the mixer down so it would quiet before looking back to Tyler, "What's going on, Tyler?"

"Jeremy is out there talking to his sister," he said unnecessarily.

"You two are attached at the hip. I kind of figured he was around here somewhere," she said, straightening up the counter as he spoke. She had not meant it in a disdainful way, but she couldn't deny that it came off that way. "Tyler, it's okay. Things are awkward. I know, you don't have to be my friend just because you are dating my best friend's little brother. We are in each other's lives for good, but that doesn't mean we have to be close like we used to be," she tried to cut him off at the knees, saving them both from any more awkwardness.

"That's the thing, Care. I want to be friends. I don't see why we can't be," he said, taking a few more steps towards her. "It's awkward, I can agree with you there, but I didn't cheat on you. I was honest. Maybe a little too late, but I was still honest. What I did when you found out you were pregnant wasn't right though. I know that it's not mine. I did the math about five minutes after I made a fool of myself walking out of here. I'm sorry. I want to be here for you if you need it."

Caroline paused for a moment, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her. Stupid hormones. "Thank you," she finally said softly. "I want to be friends. I do. We used to be really good friends. I hope eventually we can get back there." She nodded.

"Good." Tyler smiled out of relief.

"I really did only have three minutes though. I have to take this batch out of the oven," she said, sliding on a pair of oven mitts and prompting him to move out of the way so she could slide into the space in front of the oven.

| Oh What a Night |

"Two, one black, one cream and sugar," Klaus ordered as he stood in front of the stand with his younger sister.

"Elijah said you haven't been playing nice with the future mother of my niece or nephew. Care to tell me what that's about, Nik?" Rebekah asked, taking her coffee when the man when he finished making it.

"Elijah needs to stop running to his younger sister to fix his problems. I was wondering why you asked me to coffee today," Klaus spoke before taking a drink from his own black coffee. He gave his sister a look to let him know he was only teasing, but she still huffed as they stepped away from the coffee cart.

"It's not my fault that I'm the only one who can reason with you. Elijah has to use that to his advantage on occasion and that is not why I asked you for coffee. I am allowed to simply miss my older brother and I wanted the dirt. Stefan would only tell me so much. He said it wasn't his place to divulge details, but I'm sure that you will," she requested, tugging her jacket tighter to shield her from the DC winter winds beginning to tear down Constitution Avenue and the National Mall.

"Elijah is wielding you like a tranquilizer; I hope you realize that, Bekah." Klaus pointed out with a smirk, teasing her.

"Oh hush," she waved him off, stirring the cream and sugar into her coffee before taking a sip. "Now tell me what's happening. What did you do to the poor girl that has Elijah all riled up? He kept grumbling about lawsuits and damaged reputations and God only knows what else was running through his head."

"There are no lawsuits and I have not damaged any reputations. Elijah aggrandizes everything I do," Klaus scoffed. He would have preferred not to talk about this particular subject, but he could tell Rebekah was determined and she would keep badgering until he gave in. "Caroline is pregnant and the child is mine."

"I gathered that much," Rebekah stated annoyed with his lack of detail.

"I was less than welcoming when she informed me," he explained, trying to play it off at less substantial than it actually was.

"Elijah said you threatened to sue her," Rebekah cut in once again.

"If you already know all about this then why are you so insistent about hearing what I have to say on the subject?" he asked with a chuckle, glancing over at her.

She sighed, letting her shoulders drop, "Like you said. Elijah has a tendency to make things worse than they actually are; you on the other hand tend to abase things. I can assume that the truth lies somewhere in the middle."

"She caught me by surprise," Klaus admitted.

"After Tatia, I-" Klaus's expression hardened, cutting off Rebekah's words. "Fine, we don't have to talk about the little gold digging harlot?" Rebekah sighed, the ease she had moments ago seemed to vanish at the mention of the name. Her body tensed, her steps becoming heavier for a moment before shaking it off. "How did it go when you told mother and father?" she asked, tossing her now empty cup into a nearby trashcan.

"Wouldn't know. I haven't informed them of their impending grandparenthood yet."

"Caroline is moving into her second trimester and you haven't even mentioned it to them yet?" Rebekah asked incredulously.

"That child is far better off without Mikael knowing about its existence, I think we both know that," he said solemnly. He knew better that better than anyone. "I've asked her to dinner tomorrow evening. Perhaps, we can discuss the details of the situation."

"Nik, it's a baby, your baby," Rebekah said, setting her hand on her brother's shoulder. "The sooner you call it your baby the easier this will all be. You are going to be a dad and hopefully your child will not be a living nightmare like Finn's. If they never ask me to baby sit again it'll be too soon." Rebekah shuddered at the thought of it. "Although with how easily excited Caroline is, I have a feeling that child will be a ball of energy."

"Caroline… You know her well, I take it?" he asked.

"She's Stefan's best friend. Nice girl. Hard worker, I suppose. She and Elena built that entire business, though I'm not entirely sure what Elena does because it seems like Caroline does all the work. I'm not particularly fond of that Elena. Stefan always tells me to play nice, but there's something catty about her I'm not entirely sure what it-"

"Bekah, I'm going to need you to focus," Klaus spoke, redirecting his sister's attention back to the original topic.

"I'm not entirely sure what you want me to tell you, Nik. She's a good person. Stefan's known her his entire life. She's not the type of person who would ever get pregnant on purpose, certainly not for payday. I think you entirely miss judged her."

"That's becoming apparent," Klaus spoke quietly. If he had garnered anything from this meeting with his sister it was that. He had severely misjudged Caroline.

**A/N: So there was a lot of people asking for Katherine and Rebekah and it was simply a happy accident that both of them happened to appear in this chapter. I hope you all like it. Let me know what you think!**


	7. Carry You Home

**Chapter Seven – Carry You Home**

_You're not the only one  
Isolated and undone  
So many miles to go  
Well I know, I know_

"Okay. Please don't take this the wrong way," Elena began as she stood in the kitchen with Caroline. The blonde was busily frosting cookies, making them look like perfect replicas of the cookie monster for an order she was trying to fill. She was trying very hard not to be annoyed at the fact that Elena had been sitting on the counter next to her work space for nearly ten minutes now distracting her from the order which was going to be picked up any moment now. It wasn't that she didn't love Elena. She did, but something her friend had no idea how much work went into the bakery. Caroline was already cringing at the idea of what Elena could possibly have to say to her, but _please don't take this the wrong way_ was never a good start to a conversation. "But Katherine? Seriously? You didn't even talk to me about it. You just hired her. What was that all about? I didn't even know she was in town."

"She's your sister and my friend. She needed a job. She was a bartender at one of the most successful bars in New York City. Damon disappeared last night. It was kind of a no-brainer," Caroline said, carefully placing the second cookie on top of the first so make the shape for her frosting and cookie creations.

"I know, but she's Katherine," Elena whined, sliding off the table to help Caroline box the cookies.

"Exactly. She's Katherine which means she's your blood. I know she isn't always the most responsible person in the world, but I don't think she would do anything to jeopardize our business. Also, may I emphasis the _our_ part of that sentence? We both own this place. Fifty-Fifty. I'm allowed to hire people," Caroline said, setting down the piping bag full of blue frosting. "She's getting divorced. I know she's putting up a good front, but it can't be easy for her. She's a good bartender and we need another one because I'm terrible at it and you are even worse. Just be logical about this."

"Fine. You are right. I'm being ridiculous. She's my sister," Elena sighed, closing one of the boxes and setting it aside with the one Caroline had already perfected. "She didn't even tell me she was getting divorced," Elena added quietly.

"She said things with Trevor just weren't working and she needed somewhere else to be. It only makes sense that she would come back to you and Jer. You are the only family she has. Even if she's bad at showing it sometimes. It'll be an adjustment, but I think it'll be fun having her around. She'll keep things interesting," the blonde beamed with a smile as she closed the last box of cookies.

"I think things are plenty interesting with you and baby Forbes and the creepy ambassador storming in all of the time." Elena took the box from Caroline and set it next to the other two boxes.

"He's the ambassador's son, not the ambassador and he isn't that creepy. He just has the social skills of a hyena," she said, shaking her head. Her thoughts drifted to the dinner the two of them were having that evening. She may have agreed to it but she was still questioning her judgment about it. She tried to push it to the back of her mind and focus on the task at hand.

"Whatever his title is. That does not give him the right to come into our business and insult you. Kasey said you dragged him into the office. Gave him a piece of your mind I hope?" Elena questioned, wiping off her hands before looking back up at Caroline.

"Sort of. We had a bit of a misunderstanding. He actually apologized for his behavior, though I'm not sure if he did it because his brother made him or not. That's yet to be determined. I suppose I'll find out tonight," she said hesitantly.

"Tonight? Is there something you neglected to tell me?" Elena's arms crossed over her chest as she raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that judgy look. We're going out to dinner. He asked me to go with him so we could talk about things and I think it's a good idea."

"Caroline…"

"Whether I like it or not. He's the father of my baby and if he's actually going to take the time to come down here and apologize, then I can at least hear him out. He gets that much," she said firmly.

"You are far too forgiving."

"Who said anything about forgiving?" Caroline's brows knitted together as she looked at Elena. "I'm going to dinner with him. I'm letting him say what he needs to say and talk about things. It's not a date. I'm not going to be his friend. We do have to be at least a little civil, we're going to have a child together."

"I get it. Just be careful," Elena said.

"I will. We're going to Vidalia. It's public it's not like he can just make me disappear," she scoffed. She stopped for a moment to place the bakery stickers on the boxes to seal them before setting her hand on the top of the boxes. "Alright, the Huntington's are going to be here to pick up these cookies by four and the Johnston's are coming in for their cake consultation at five. All the cake samples are in the fridge ready to go and the book is on the counter waiting for them. It should be pretty cut and dry. They look like vanilla and buttercream people. I'm taking off."

"I can take care of it, no problem," Elena nodded. "Oh! Before I forget, there were a few calls for you. The messages are on the desk in the office."

"Did they sound important?"

"Something about a cake, I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow."

"I'll check them when I get back. If I don't leave now, I'm not going to be able to shower before dinner. I need to look good tonight."

"I thought this wasn't a date?" Elena asked, eyeing her skeptically.

"It isn't, but A.) I'm going to be a whale soon, I'm taking as many opportunities as I can to look hot and B.) He's the one who screwed this up and I'm going to make him regret it." She smirked, reaching behind her back to untie her apron before hanging it up on the rack.

"Knock him dead."

An hour later, Caroline stepped out of a cab on the curb outside of Vidalia. Her brown boots clicked against the pavement as she tugged her trench coat tighter around the emerald green wrap dress she had plucked from her closet just before her shower. She was more than apprehensive about all of this, but it didn't show. Holding her head up high and confident, Caroline walked into the restaurant and towards the hosted stand. "Hi, I'm meeting someone here, I'm not sure if he's here yet. Tall guy, curly dirty blonde hair."

"Mr. Mikaelson already arrived, he's seated at his table. I'll take you there," she said a bit too cheerfully for her liking. She blamed the hormones, but the majority of the time she found herself annoyed with the cheeriness of others. More so than the hormones, it was jealousy that most of them had not woken up in the middle of the night to run to the bathroom to throw up. She would wring whoever named it morning sickness's neck before this pregnancy was over, that was for sure.

She followed the chipper blond back to a small room in the back where Klaus was seated alone amongst a few other tables. It would have been romantic if the two of them could stand each other. She had never been back here, but the room was infamous in DC for being a place congressmen and senators brought their mistresses to dine away from the public eye. That thought alone made her a little uneasy but she pushed the thought aside, as Klaus stood and pulled her chair out for her. She was pleasantly surprised to see he had some manners.

"Thank you," she said, softly as he slid her chair in before returning to his own. The hostess opened their menus, carefully placing them in front of the two of them before stepping out of the room and closing the sliding door behind her. She glanced down at the menu, studying it intently.

"I recommend the sea scallops," he suggested off handedly, feeling an unusual need to fill the silence.

"Can't have seafood," she said without looking up from the menu. A few moments passed before the guilt of snapping got the better of her and she lowered the menu, having made her decision. "The mercury in seafood is bad for the baby. You are supposed to limit your intake, I've decided to avoid it entirely. Not to mention the smell kind of sends me spiraling towards the bathroom. Morning sickness is not aptly named," she offered him a friendlier explanation.

"My apologies. The duck then," he said, glancing back down at his own.

Caroline bit her lip, tugging at it with her teeth as she watched him. He looked about as uncomfortable as she felt. The awkward silence had gone on long enough for her liking. "So what did you want to talk about? The baby or is there something else?" she asked, filling the silence.

"The baby is probably the best place to start," he spoke, pausing when the waiter walked in to take their order. "I'll have the duck with a glass of the Gaja Ca'Marcanda, Merlot blend."

"Same, but water," Caroline said softly, closing her menu and handing it over to the waiter who turned and walked over to the door, "So about the-"

Klaus furrowed his brow and gave a slight shake of his head, effectively cutting off Caroline's sentence. He watched until the waiter left the room, closing the door behind him before looking back at Caroline, "You were saying?" he motioned for her to continue her thought.

Caroline's eyebrows rose in shock, her head tilted to the side. The pieces began to fall into place in that moment. He was taking every precaution to make sure this conversation was not overheard and no one saw him with her. "You could have just asked me not to meet in public you know? Or we could have had this conversation over email or skype or via your brother. Then you wouldn't have to worry about your precious family name or reputation." Her jaw set, preparing to leave the table. She didn't want to be someone's dirty little secret.

"Caroline, did it ever occur to you that I'm hiding you away not for my own reputation, but for yours?" he asked, gaining back her attention. "This is Washington DC. The papers do not report about celebrities here. The photographers don't stalk the famous, they prefer the infamous. Congress doing their jobs doesn't sell papers, but scandal does. Senators snorting cocaine in illegal brothels. The president getting a bit too friendly with a white house office aid. The Ambassador's children running amuck in DC. Between my step-father's recent promotion to the title position, my younger brother Kol's antics in the press and Rebekah's recent nuptials, the spot light is unfortunately still very much on my family and while I realize this story will come out eventually, the longer it takes to come out, the better it will look for everyone," Klaus began to explain. "Do you know who the press goes after most of the time in the scandals? The woman involved. Yes, it's sexist, but it's politics. You are not a young innocent girl they can speculate I wooed into my bed with words and presents. You are an educated woman, a business owner. As far as the press will be concerned, you should have known better. It would damage your reputation if we don't control when this comes out."

"So you are actually interested in protecting me?" Caroline asked. She had not meant for it to be out loud, but it still passed by her lips before she could stop it.

"I'm interested in protecting both of you," he spoke, his brows knitting together. He had not realized how low her opinion was of him until he heard the tone of surprise in her voice. As much as he tried to justify his behavior he could not deny that Caroline had adequate reason to loathe him.

Caroline thought carefully about what she was going to say next, the appearance of the waiter with Klaus's wine and her water was a much needed opportunity to think. She reached for the glass, taking a sip as they were left alone in the room. "Can I ask you something? Honestly. I know I've said it before, but there was always a certain level of anger behind my words. I just really want to know now. Are you here because you actually want to be here and sort these things out about the baby or are you here because you think you should be or your brother is making you?"

"Let me assure you, I do nothing solely based on my brother's desires or the whims of society. If I didn't wish to be here, I would not be. I can promise you that much, love."

He took his time reaching for his wine glass before he expanded on his answer, something Caroline was not thrilled about. She wished he would be more forthcoming, but she guessed that would be the most she would get out of him on the subject this evening. She found herself surprised when he chose to speak again.

"I won't pretend that I wanted this to happen. I don't think either of us was planning for this child to make an appearance in our lives, but I want you to know that despite my previous behavior, family means a great deal to me. I protect my family." He paused again; the blue of his eyes seemed to deepen as if in thought. He knew he was not ready for this. He wasn't even sure if he wanted this, but he also knew he didn't have much of a choice. There was a timeframe. He glanced up at her, his eyes falling on the soft blue orbs. "Regardless of these circumstances, this child, and you by extension, fall into that category and that does mean something to me."

Caroline studied him a bit longer, giving his words time to settle in. Maybe the British Asshole wasn't as bad as she had made him out to be in her head. She was scared too, terrified in fact. Whether or not she would be good at this. Whether or not she could do it on her own. Whether or not the kid would grow up to hate or resent her for something. All the questions that floated through her head were normal, but for the first time she actually felt like she wasn't the only one wondering these things. The waiter walked in again with the food, saving her from having to say anything more on the subject.

The room was quiet side from the clinking of forks and knives against the plates. Neither of them were particularly comfortable in the silence, but they weren't exactly keen on breaking it either. Caroline's urge to fill it proved to be more powerful than the desire to remain quiet. "This was a really good choice," she mentioned, not looking up from her plate as she stabbed her fork through another bite of meat.

"It is. I am normally more for the scallops, but sending you running for the powder room seemed counterproductive," he said, glancing up at her.

Her rigid posture softened slightly as he opened the line of communication, "I wish it was that easy. It seems like anything can set me off these days. Morning sickness is horrible. Stefan and the doctor both said it should go away soon thank god," she said, shaking her head as she reached for the water again. "The baby is due in September by the way. September tenth. Everything has been normal so far, all my tests and ultrasounds. I have a picture, if you-"

"Let's just take this one step at a time, Caroline," Klaus said.

She nodded, setting down her fork, "No, you are right. We have six more months to figure out all the details. We can just start slow. If you change your mind about the ultrasound picture, Elijah has one. He seems quite happy about being an uncle," she mentioned off handedly.

"Elijah's quite fond of children."

"What about you?"

"Well, the only children I've really been around belong to my brother Finn and his wife Sage and each one of them is more dirty, loud and misbehaved than the one before it. My overall opinion is a bit skewed."

"Not all children are little terrors."

"I'm aware. I think my brother's children are trying to make up for their father's complete and total lack of personality by being as memorable as possible," he said with a smirk, bringing the wine glass to his lips once again.

"I don't think that will be a problem with this one," she said, her hand settling on her stomach as she reached for her water glass.

His eyes fell on the hand on her stomach, the panic in his body beginning to rise once again. The reality of the child was quickly becoming hard to ignore. He glanced from her plate to his, seeing that they were both done with their meal. He took out his credit card to pay for it before looking up at Caroline. "I can have the town car drop you off at home if you'd like," he offered.

She was surprised by his abruptness, but took it in stride, not letting it show on her face. "It's alright, the metro is right down the street. I'll be okay," she told him as she stood up. He held her coat open for her before she turned to button it. "I have an appointment this week, I'll let you know how it goes." She gave him a small smile before walking out of the small room.


	8. Shake It Out

**Chapter Eight – Shake It Out**

_Regrets collect like old friends  
Here to relive your darkest moments  
I can see no way, I can see no way  
And all of the ghouls come out to play  
And every demon wants his pound of flesh_

"No. Thank you!" Caroline said excitedly into the phone as she and Elena sat in the office. "It's alright. I know it's short notice, but I can get it done. I'll see you this evening. Mrs. Mikaelson." She set the phone on the cradle before bouncing from the chair she was sitting in.

"Mrs. Mikaelson?" Elena asked, looking up from the payroll program she was trying to fill out as she did every Sunday afternoon. "As in Rebekah and Klaus?"

"As in the wife to the British Ambassador who loved my cake so much at her daughter's wedding, she wants me to make the cake for her husband's birthday party tonight. It's small, family only, but if she keeps liking my work, she throws parties. Lots of them. The bakery is doing really well and I want to keep it that way," she said with a defining nod.

"Is that going to be weird? Do their parents know about you?" Elena asked, her eyebrow quirking as she looked up at Caroline.

"I'm not sure, I've never really asked. I didn't think it was any of my business really. It's not like Klaus and I are together, whether or not he tells his parents it his business. I imagine they will find out eventually when there is an extra child in the family picture." Caroline scrunched her nose before shaking the thoughts away. "It's his prerogative. I'm just making a cake."

"For your child's grandfather," Elena added.

"When you put it like that it sounds weird."

"That's because it is weird," Elena pointed out, meeting Caroline's disapproving glance. "Alright, it's none of my business. Just be careful. Maybe hide the bump?"

"Why? It's not like they'll see me pregnant and immediately assume one of their sons is the father. That would be quite the leap to make," Caroline laughed, shaking her head. "I appreciate the sentiment and the concern, but I'm going to be okay."

"I have no doubt that you'll be fine. Do you need any help with the cake?" Elena offered. "I have to finish up payroll first, but I might be inclined to help."

Caroline gave her a smile, "Thank you for the offer, but you have the baking skills of a five year old. You almost burned down your apartment making ramen once. You are not allowed anywhere near the kitchen. I have to go get started on this cake. I only have five hours."

She walked out of the office, letting Elena get back to work on payroll, before heading into the kitchen. It wasn't a particularly ornate cake, but it would take some time to assemble and put together. Even the promise of family only meant more than ten people. Caroline knew that much from what Klaus and Elijah had told her about their family. Six children total, two married, three grandchildren already. Fortunately for her, this was her element. Cakes were her specialty and she planned on impressing.

It didn't take her long. The chocolate and caramel creation was perfect and she had to say it looked delicious. She was definitely going to have to remake this cake for herself and the baby later. She wasn't sure if this was what a pregnancy craving felt like, but this was the closest she had come so far. She carefully placed the cake in the box and closed it up, making her way to the back of the store so she could place it in the van only to find the parking spot empty. "Elena!" she yelled.

The brunette raced around the corner, "What? What's wrong? Is the baby okay?" she asked in rapid succession, looking Caroline over as she finally came into view.

"Where's the van?" Caroline asked, the panic taking over her face.

"Damon took it. We didn't have any deliveries scheduled for today so he took it to get the oil changed and the tires rotated. I thought he'd be back by now." She bit her lip, looking down at the cake box in Caroline's hands.

"Well, that doesn't do us a whole lot of good. I have to have this cake there in a half hour."

"It'll be okay. We'll call you a cab," she said, ducking into the office to get the cab company on the phone.

"This is super unprofessional," Caroline scoffed, setting the cake down on the edge of the office desk.

"It's not the end of the world," Elena reminded her.

"I know. I just wanted to make a good impression."

"This isn't about the cake is it?" Elena asked as she set the phone back on the cradle. She had never seen Caroline this nervous about work before and she knew there had to be more to the story then she was letting on.

"Of course it's about the cake. What else would it be about? This is a huge opportunity for us. She throws parties. She has friends. This is really good for our business," Caroline pointed out, her freehand resting on her hip, a dead giveaway that she was trying to lie convincingly.

"Caroline, we're been in the black since our sixth month open. We're packed all the time. We're doing really well. This isn't about the business. So spill," Elena instructed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I just want to make a good impression, you know? If Klaus is serious about wanting to be in the baby's life, and that is still a big if because he's more temperamental then a soufflé, then his parents are going to be in my child's life. I want them to like me. I want to have a decent relationship with them because it will matter and I really want to know what kind of people they are. It's important. So I'm a little nervous," she admitted.

"It's okay to be nervous, but you'll be fine. It doesn't matter if they like you are not. You have to like them. You are the mother. You are the one who gets to make these decisions, especially with the way Klaus has been treating you lately." Elena wrinkled her nose. It was no secret she was not especially fond of the man. Who would be after listening to all of Caroline's rants about him over the last few months.

"Actually, he wasn't that bad the last time I saw him. He was kind of nice. It does not entirely make up for the things he's said in the past, but it seems like he's actually attempting to get along now and be involved, which is more than I ever expected from him so I can't complain too much."

"Good. He better be," Elena said, looking over Caroline's shoulder to the front window. "The cab is here. You are just delivering a cake. It's not an interview. Remember that," Elena told her before picking up the cake and handing it to Caroline before sending her on her way.

The Ambassador's mansion was not far from downtown DC. Once she got there, she paid the cab driver and headed for the door, making her way through the security check point. They were common in DC, especially when catering events. The house wasn't far from the Woodley Park metro stop. It wouldn't be that much of a hike for her to head over there once she was finished. Her nerves built again as she knocked on the door. She was surprised when the door opened and was greeted by Mrs. Mikaelson herself. She had expected a butler with the way Stefan had described this family.

"You must be Caroline. Come right in. I'll show you to the kitchen to set the cake down. It has to be heavy," she said, stepping aside for her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Mikaelson. It's not too heavy," she said, following her through the magnificent house. She wouldn't have expected anything less than opulence but it was still far grander than she has imagined.

"Please, it's Esther," the woman corrected as they walked through two large French doors into the largest kitchen Caroline had ever seen. Caroline tried not to gape openly, but her jaw dropped a bit as she looked around, setting the chocolate cake on the counter. "We've just had the kitchen redone to accommodate this many people, it's a shame only two of them live with us. Our two youngest sons, Kol and Henrik."

"Well, the house is beautiful no matter who is living here," Caroline said, looking around before putting her professional mask back on. She opened the box that contained the cake, showing it to Esther. "Does this look alright to you?" she asked hopefully.

"It's lovely, Caroline. I'm certain it tastes as lovely as it looks. My husband will enjoy it, as will the rest of the family."

"Glad to hear it," Caroline nodded. She smiled when she saw a familiar face walk in the opposite kitchen door.

"Caroline, what are you doing here?" Stefan asked as he and Rebekah made their way into the kitchen.

"I made the cake," she said, hugging her best friend.

"That's right. I forgot you two knew each other before the wedding," Esther spoke, looking over at the two of them as Rebekah greeted Caroline.

"All our lives," Caroline said before looking over at the three of them, "I really should be going. I'm glad you like the cake, you'll have to let me know if you like the way it tastes as much as you like the way it looks."

"Nonesense, Caroline. You should stay for dinner. We've already got thirteen for dinner, what's one more. Especially one that knows Stefan, might help to have a friend. I keep forgetting you are new to this madness," Esther said, warmly putting Caroline in a position she couldn't refuse.

"Al-Alright," she nodded hesitantly, looking up at Stefan to gauge the situation. He looked a bit uncertain but didn't let it show much.

"It's settled then, the boys, Sage, and the children are already in the dining room. We should join them," Esther motioned to the other doors and the four of them made their way into the large formal dining room.

Caroline's eyes floated to the man sitting at the far end of the table, as far away from his father as possible. His eyes looked up to meet hers with surprise. She shrugged her shoulders gently, offering a silent apology as she took the only open seat at the table, directly across from him. It was uncomfortable to say the least; they shared an awkward glance before staring down at their plates. Thankfully their awkward silence was short lived.

Within moments of Stefan and Rebekah taking their seats, the house staff began to bring the food out, one of them walking around the table and pouring the wine for each of the table's occupants. Caroline politely shook her head when it came to her, "No thank you," she said softly.

"I'll take hers," Henrik spoke from his spot next to Klaus, bringing a slight smirk to his older brother's face.

"Maybe in a few years," Esther said, looking down the table at her youngest.

"I'll get you a glass once she's had a few," Klaus spoke quietly to the boy who Caroline guessed couldn't be more than eleven or twelve. She cracked a small smile at the sight of the two of them, but said nothing as she reached for her water glass.

"So Caroline, how are you feeling?" Rebekah asked from her seat besides Stefan.

Caroline was surprised to hear her name come up. She had planned on sitting quietly through the dinner and making a quick exit when things were over, but now that she had been directly addressed she didn't have much choice, "I'm alright. The inability to sleep through the night has already begun, but the morning sickness has subsided almost completely. So that's a good sign."

"Ah, yes, how far along are you, Caroline?" Esther asked, peering down the table at her.

Something about the way the woman was now looking at her unsettled Caroline, but she felt compelled to answer her anyway. It would have been rude not to. "Oh, I'm seventeen weeks. Well, seventeen and a half." She let her hand rest on the small bump that was just beginning underneath her shirt.

"So close to the big appointment. Do you plan on finding out the gender your child?"

Caroline shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes glanced around to see if anyone was looking at her. "Umm… I'm not entirely sure yet. I need to speak to the baby's father first and see what he thinks about finding out. I could be swayed either way," she said before reaching for her glass of water.

"And which one of my sons would that be?" Esther asked, making half the table choke on their drinks, including Caroline.

"Esther, what in blazes are you talking about?" Mikael asked, looking over at his wife.

"I overheard the tail end of a conversation between Niklaus and Elijah about this girl and the child she carries. They called it a Mikaelson. I can only assume that one of them is the father and I would like to know which one," she said much too calm for the question she had just posed. "I would also like to know why it has taken nearly four months for me to be informed that I'm going to have another grandchild."

"I hardly think this is the time, Mother," Rebekah interjected on both Caroline and her brothers' behalves.

"You knew as well, Rebekah?" Esther asked, looking over at her daughter. "Anyone else want to confess prior knowledge of this child?"

"I can honestly say I knew nothing, Mother," Finn said, glancing over at his own three children who were each watching the action in a state of confusion. Caroline glanced around the table, looking at each person. Sage, or at least who she assumed was Sage, seemed more concerned with her children than anything else going on at the table. Rebekah, Stefan, and Elijah seemed to be watching her carefully, making sure that she was alright. Henrik seemed more confused than anything else and Kol was grinning like a Cheshire cat at the chaos falling apart all around him. And then there was Klaus. His gaze moved from Esther to Mikael then to Caroline, he waited until she looked at him.

"Caroline, if you would please answer the question, we can get on with my husband's birthday dinner. I would hate to see that cake you made go to waste," Esther brought up once again, leaving Caroline wondering where the kind woman she had met a few moments before went. Her mind began to race, wondering if this had all been some kind of conspiracy or if she had actually wanted the cake to begin with. While her mind swelled with possibilities, the eyes of everyone on the table fell on her only making her anxiety level rise.

"It's mine," Klaus finally interjected when he saw the panic written all over her face. "Caroline is carrying my child." She gave him a small smile, a silent thanks for not making her answer his mother.

"Well, that's a relief. The child won't be a real Mikaelson after all," Mikael scoffed, setting down his wine glass. His comment silenced the table, they could have heard a pin drop in the room. "Now that that's settled, I would like to know why _the help_ is sitting at the table with us for dinner?"

"Father that's-"

"Elijah, I suggest you mind your tongue. We wouldn't want another mess for you to have to clean up in the press," Mikael said, the threat only veiled from those under the age of ten. Even Henrik looked slightly taken back as the tension filled the room.

"That's enough," Klaus spoke, an eerie calm falling over him as he said it. The entire room's attention shifted on the man and even Caroline knew this was not something that happened often.

"What was that, boy?" Mikael spoke.

"I said, that's enough," Klaus spoke through clenched teeth.

"It's alright, I'm just going to go," she directed at Klaus softly. Caroline didn't know what else to say, under any other circumstances, she would have stood up for herself, yelled, but she couldn't even bring herself to open her mouth.

"No, you shouldn't have to."

"Yes, Niklaus. Why don't we continue inviting all of the gold-digging strumpets you have the misfortune of sleeping with to dinner?" Mikael asked, his words laced with sarcasm. "At least this one was smart enough to get herself pregnant and attached to this family. Lest of us not forget, Tatia," he spoke, and Caroline had to wonder if he was simply trying to get a rise out of him by the smirk on his face.

Caroline closed her eyes tightly for a moment and tried to pretend they were talking about someone other than her. She didn't look at anyone as she stood from the table, determined not to cry or lose any more face than she already had despite feeling so humiliated.

"I can drive you home," Elijah said, following her out of the room.

"It's fine, Elijah. I'm fine," Caroline's voice shook as she tried to lie convincingly. She pulled on her coat. "I just want to go home and forget about all of this, you should go back in there."

"I don't particularly want to, not while they are acting like a pack of wild dogs, but I suppose you are correct." Elijah said, helping her with her jacket.

Caroline jumped when she heard a plate break in the other room, followed some muffled yelling. "And I think that's my cue to get out of here. I'll be fine. I'm just going to hope on the Metro at Woodley Park. It's only a block away. Try not to die in there," she told him before heading out the back door and beginning down the street.

Once she was alone on the cold DC street her emotions got the best of her. She tugged her jacket tighter around herself, her arms folding over the bump as she felt the first of many tears running down her cheek. As much as she tried not to let it get to her, it did. She didn't need their approval and truthfully she didn't want it at this point, but the idea of those people being anywhere near her child made her cringe to her core. If she could keep that from happening, she would. She just needed to figure out how.

"Caroline!" She heard the familiar voice along with the pounding steps of someone jogging to catch up with her.


	9. Been A Long Day

**Chapter Nine – Been A Long Day**

_It's been a long day and all I've got to say is make it strong_  
_It's been a long week and I'm finally feeling like it's okay to break  
It's been a long year and I'm finally ready to be here._

Caroline stopped when she heard someone calling her name behind her, surprised to see Stefan jogging after her. She stopped where she stood, waiting for him to catch up to her. "You didn't have to leave your father-in-law's birthday party for me. I'm fine. Really. I can't believe you left Rebekah alone in that den of lions," she lied unconvincingly as she tried to wipe away the tears before they fell. The effort was in vain, more gathered before she could wipe the previous tears away.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay and got to the train okay. Rebekah is more than capable of handling herself. She can put all of those boys to shame. She told me to go after you while she held down the fort at home. She'll be fine. What about you?" he asked, looking up at her. His eyes racked over her appearance with concern for her and the baby, looking for any sign of pain or stress.

"I'm sorry. I really am fine. It's just the hormones make me cry at the drop of a hat now and it's ridiculous. I thought I was emotional before, but now I feel like the sky is falling whenever anything doesn't go right." She hung her head, trying to keep the tears from streaming down her cheeks.

"Caroline," he said, softly, setting his hands on her shoulders. "None of this is your fault. What Mikael said was anything but true. You know that right?" he asked, looking down at her.

"I know, I know," she said, leaning into him. She thought she was fine for a moment, but then the tears started flowing again. "I'm never going to be good enough for them. I know I'm not a gold digger. I know I didn't do this on purpose, but that's how they are always going to think about me. That I'm just some stupid girl who got pregnant on purpose to trap their son. That I'm not good enough. That my baby isn't good enough. How is that fair? He or she isn't even born yet and they hate it. Maybe they are right about me, I'm just a stupid girl who made a stupid mistake."

"Caroline, you are none of those things and I think you know that. You are smart and talented and successful. You should not let one family's opinion of you change the way you look at yourself." Stefan wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they began to walk to the train station. "And it's not the whole family. Elijah and Rebekah adore you and Klaus is coming around. The others don't know you well enough to have an opinion on you, but when they get to know you better, they will love you too. And that baby is going to be a little Forbes. There's going to be nothing it can't handle."

"I just wish it was easier," she sighed, wrapping her arm around his middle as he walked her to the train stop.

"Well, nothing is easy, but we both know that you are going to rock at this. My niece or nephew will have the best mom in the world," he told her as they stopped in front of the stairs. "Do you want me to take the train with you home? I can meet Rebekah at home later."

"I'm fine, Stefan. I think I can manage the metro home. The stairs are ten feet from my building. I think I can make it." She smiled, "Now go back there before they burn the house down or something insane. They were breaking plates before I left. Make sure your wife is still alive."

"Are you kidding? My wife is probably the one breaking them." He smirked, turning to walk back towards the house.

Caroline watched him for a moment before sliding her hand down the railing as she walked down into the subway. Part of her knew that Stefan was right. It didn't matter what the Mikaelson's thought about her. She knew what kind of person she was. She didn't need to the approval of someone who had tricked her into walking into an ambush and those were the last people that her baby needed in its life.

By the time she made it back to the bakery, Caroline's craving for the chocolate cake she had made earlier had not get subsided. As tempting as her bed upstairs was sounding, chocolate sounded just a little bit better. She headed up to her apartment and changed into a sweatshirt and a pair of sleeping shorts before heading down to the bakery kitchen. She had barely gotten the cake out of the oven when she heard a knock on the door. It was late, she hadn't been expecting anyone, but robbers and serial killers tended not to knock.

Placing the cake on the cooling rack, Caroline wandered into the store front, surprised to see Klaus standing on the other side of the glass door. She raised an eyebrow before walking over to unlock it, "What are you doing? It's freezing out here," she asked, pulling him inside before closing the door and locking it behind him. She looked up at him then, her eyes widening when she saw the dark purple and yellowing marks beginning to form around his left eye. "Are you okay? Did you get mugged?" she asked, wiping the fallen snow off his shoulders.

"Let's just say Mikael and I don't always see eye to eye," Klaus spoke, moving further into the room. "Unfortunately, Finn and Elijah pulled us away from each other before I could get the proper left hook he deserved in." He peeled off his jacket, setting it over one of the chairs at the bar as he looked over at Caroline.

"I'm going to get you some ice. Just stay here," she said, as he sat down on one of the bar stools. She picked up a clean towel, walking behind the bar and scooping some ice onto the middle of it before making it into a pouch. "Here, put this on your eye before you swell up any more than you already are," she said, gently placing it against his eye. He winced when it first made contact with his swollen eye, but put his hand over hers to take the pouch from her. "What are you doing here?" she asked softly once he was situated.

"You left dinner so quickly, I didn't exactly have a chance to see if you were alright."

"Yeah well, your family didn't exactly want me there. I figured the faster I left the happier they would be," Caroline said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"Mikael is quite different behind closed doors than his public persona would lead people to believe."

"Well, that's for sure," Caroline laughed humorlessly, wiping away the remnants of her eyeliner and mascara, the bits that had not been washed away from her earlier tears. She looked down at the ground, "Your mother might be worse. I have a feeling this entire evening was a set up. She seemed quite keen on completely blindsiding me and shoving me in the spotlight to be humiliated."

"Esther has always been the perfect politician's wife. She can ram a dagger in your back with a smile on her face. Quite the skill in politics," he said, pulling the ice pack away from his eye to look down at her before she prompted him to put it back.

"It's going to swell up more if you don't keep the ice on it," she warned, before walking behind the bar again and picking up a glass and a dark bottle.

"I'm not an expert, but I don't think you are supposed to drink that while pregnant," Klaus said, watching her carefully.

"It's not for me, it's for you. You're still seething. I can see it all over you. You were drinking bourbon the night we met, I thought this would help," she said, handing him the glass. "And for the record, a glass of red wine every once in a while is actually good for the baby. It helps relieve stress."

He took the glass, taking a sip from it before looking back at her. "You never answered my question."

"That's because you didn't ask one. You said you came to see if I was okay, but you never asked if I was okay." She leaned into the counter.

"It's implied."

"I'm fine. It's not the worst thing anyone has ever said to me. I'm a big girl. I can get over it," she said, putting on a little smile. She knew it hadn't been okay, but she also knew those weren't people who were going to change their mind about her and she was just going to have to accept it.

"What Mikael said-"

"We really don't have to talk about it. I promise I'm fine. He's just another politician who thinks his opinion is the end all be all. This town has plenty of them. This one just happens to be the grandfather of my unborn child," she said before wrinkling her nose.

"Step-grandfather," he corrected, "And I think it would be best for everyone involved if the child in question had no contact with Mikael what so ever." He sighed, bringing the glass to his lips again. "And we do need to discuss it. You have every right to know that Mikael and Esther's opinions are theirs alone. They are not widely shared."

His stare was intense. The weight of his words made Caroline's eyes water. It was simple, he had probably meant it to simply make her feel better, but she also knew that he was being honest. He didn't believe any of the things that Mikael had said and if his words did not cement that fact, the black eye that he was sporting did. The two of them weren't exactly on the best of terms but it was certainly better than it had been before. It was a start. One they needed if they were going to raise this child together in a few months. It was a two way street. She knew that from watching her own parents go through it when she was younger and this was the first time it seemed like Klaus was actually putting any effort into it. She quickly got ahold of herself, wiping the corners of her eyes and playing it off like it was nothing, "Thank you. She said softly. She shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts clouding her mind, thankfully the dinging off the kitchen timer got her off the hook. "I have to get that." She moved away from the counter and disappeared into the kitchen, taking the cake off the cooling rack and over to the counter.

"Do you always make a habit of cooking in the middle of the night?" Klaus asked, leaning into the kitchen doorway, the icepack still pressed to his cheek.

"It's not cooking, it's baking," she corrected, "And yes, I do. It calms me. Plus I've been craving chocolate cake since I made it this afternoon. I thought I would get it this evening, but that didn't pan out so I came home and made it for myself. I'm guessing you missed out on the cake too."

"Well, after I caught a right hook, I didn't see the sense in sticking around to see him blow out the candles," he shrugged his shoulders.

"I might be willing to share," she said, placing the cake on the stand so she could begin frosting it. "I might even let you help, maybe, you know if you aren't too worried about getting your Armani dirty."

"It's Hugo Boss actually and there's already blood on it. It won't be of much use now," he said, looking down at the red stain on his grey tie. "Elijah would have my head."

"There is such a thing as dry-cleaning. You are being a little ridiculous," she said, looking over at him before returning to her work, mixing up the ingredients for her frosting.

"Says the pregnant woman who caught a train in six inch heels earlier this evening." He smirked, pressing the ice pack against his cheek once more as he leaned against the counter watching her work.

"Pregnancy is not an excuse for lack of style despite what most women seem to think," she pointed out. She had never understood the muumuu collection that some women amassed while carrying their children. There were designer pregnancy clothes for heaven's sake. No excuse not to dress accordingly. Heels may have been a little trickier now that her center of gravity was shifting, but she was not going to let that stop her.

"I'll take your word for it. I have not associated with many pregnant women, barring Finn's wife."

"Well, now you'll have a reason to learn these things." She looked back down at the counter, picking up a generous portion of chocolate frosting and plopping it on top of the cake before beginning to spin the stand to frost it.

"Something tells me you will tell me anything I need to know," he countered, pulling the mostly melted icepack away from his eye and depositing the dripping cloth into the sink. He leaned back against the counter, watching her work. The way the frosting knife worked across the cake reminded him of a painting knife against canvas, the motion was almost hypnotic. It was a different aesthetic than he used, but it was still art none the less and something about it intrigued him.

"What your- Mikael said back there, about the baby not being a real Mikaelson, what did he mean? I've gathered that he's not your real father, but all of your other siblings call him father." She was a bit nervous to ask, it was a personal question, but it had been on her mind since she heard him speak earlier that evening. It probably was not any of her business, but the words left her mouth before she could think too much about what was socially appropriate and what was not.

Klaus closed his eyes for a moment, making Caroline wonder if she had crossed a line. It was not a subject he particularly enjoyed speaking about, but he knew if he shut the conversation down completely he would only make Caroline more curious about it. After what she had been through this evening the least he could offer her was an explanation and he felt compelled to give her one. "I am the only one of my siblings that is not Mikael's biological child and he has reminded me of that fact every day of my life. Esther got a bit too friendly with one of the associates at Mikael's law firm back in London and I was the product of that affair."

Caroline's eyebrow rose instinctively. It made sense, but she didn't understand how someone could punish the child in that situation. It certainly wasn't his fault. "If he had such a problem dealing with it, then why didn't they just get divorced? It's not fair to ostracize you for your mother's mistake."

"Mikael was preparing to run for political office in the UK. He could not afford the bad press. Not when his constituents were watching his every move. No one wants to cast a vote for someone who can't manage to keep his own family together and wife in line. They stayed together for his career and it paid off for him."

"All while you got relegated to evil step son. That doesn't seem very fair."

"Life isn't fair, Caroline."

"I'm aware. We all have to deal with the cards we're dealt," she sighed, shaking her head. "What about your biological father? Do you see him?"

"Never met him. Mikael could not have the affair coming to light. The details are always a bit fuzzy, but from what I've gathered he was sent to prison and killed in a scuffle not long after."

She frowned looking up from the cake, "I'm sorry." She walked over to the sink, dropping her used dishes into it before retrieving a knife. "If it makes you feel any better, the alternative isn't any better. My dad took off when I was ten. I've only heard from him a handful of times since then." She took the knife and sliced into the cake she had just spend so much time perfecting. "I don't think he ever wanted to go the husband or dad route. I was an accident, then my parents got married because it was the right thing to do. Nothing like repeating the pattern." She placed the sliver of cake onto it before handing it to him.

"Do you wish he was around more?" he asked curiously, picking up a fork from the counter where Caroline had left them.

She stopped what she was doing to think about the question for a moment. Years ago, she would have said yes. Any kid who grew up without a parent would want them back in their life, but as she got older, she realized the truth of the mater. "No," she said, shaking her head. "It's not what he wanted and he would have resented me if he stuck around just for me. I mean it sucks. I wish I was dealt a different set of cards, but it is what it is. I can't make him do something he never wanted to do. I just wish he'd left sooner to be honest. I know that sounds horrible, but the first ten years of my life I tried so hard to make him like me. I was constantly trying to get his approval and it was an impossible battle. He didn't want to be there. I wish he had never tried to pretend with me. It would have made things a lot easier."

"We're not that different, you and I."

She looked up from the sliver of cake she had cut for herself. A small smile crossing her lips. "I suppose we aren't."


	10. Ghost

**Chapter Ten – Ghost**

_Lately I've been thinking  
Lately I've been dreaming with you  
I'm so resistant to this type of thinking  
Oh now it's shining through_

"Morning," Caroline said, looking down at Klaus as she held two cups of coffee in her hands, sipping from the one holding decaff.

Klaus blinked a few times, looking up at the blonde before glancing around the apartment. It took him a few moments to place where he was. Though it was the first time that he had been inside Caroline's apartment, everything about it from the pale yellow walls in the living room to the purple throw that was resting over the back of the couch screamed Caroline. It wasn't that far of a leap. He sat up slowly, his eyes still heavy with sleep as he took the cup of coffee that she had been offering him. "Thank you," he said, bringing it to his lips as he began to put the dots together. "Did we…?"

"Oh yes," Caroline answered quickly with a definite nod. She took a seat never to him on the couch, wrapping both hands around the mug. His eyes widened as he looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate. "It was crazy. Clothes flying in every direction. I think we may have even cracked the dry wall in my bedroom. It was…" she trailed off with a chuckle. "Well, let's just say I think it might be twins now," she ran her hand over her bump before bringing her mug in for another sip.

"Very funny, love." He shook his head, running a hand over the matted blond curls. "I'd like to think if we spent another evening together it would be something we would both remember vividly." He glanced up at her wearing a sleep-laced, cocky smirk.

She gave him a look, "You had one glass of bourbon and you can't remember what happened last night. How am I supposed to not mess with you over it?" she shook her head, glazing over what he had said completely. She knew he was probably right, but going there wasn't a good idea. She knew better than that, better than to think about how sexy he looked right now.

"I remember. I just woke up somewhere I've never been before, it's a bit disorienting."

"We had some cake and we talked and you fell asleep on my couch," she said, setting her cup down on the coffee table before looking over at him. "How is your eye by the way? It looks a lot better than it did last night."

He made an effort not to wince as she reached out and touched the still tender skin. Her fingers felt warm against his skin, but he tried to ignore the fact that he followed her fingers for a fraction of a second when she pulled away. "Far better than to be expected," he said, finally feeling completely awake. Awake enough to take in her freshly showered and dressed appearance. "How long have you been awake?"

"A few hours ago. The baby seems to think that seven am is the perfect time to get up even when I have the day off. I don't approve, but I'm trying not to start nagging it until it's at least thirteen," she laughed at her own joke before finishing off her coffee. "I'm actually meeting your sister today."

"Well, I will get out of your way then," he said, beginning to get up from the couch.

"Don't be ridiculous. I have plenty of time and Rebekah is fashionably late to everything. I already ran downstairs and grabbed some croissants. Just out of the oven. My recipe. I'll be personally offended if you don't eat. I thought since dinner was such a disaster, breakfast would be better," she said, offering him a small smile.

"I suppose work can wait," he returned the gesture moving from the couch to Caroline's small kitchen counter.

Caroline moved around the kitchen, putting all of the things that they might need for their breakfast on the counter. Jam, more coffee, and most importantly the croissants. "I know last night is probably the last thing you want to talk about, but your mother actually did bring up an important point. My appointment is in two days," she mentioned, setting the plate of flakey, buttery pastries between the two of them. "Do you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"That's your discretion, Caroline." He reached for one of the croissants she had been speaking so highly of a few moments before and brought it onto the plate she had placed in front of him.

"No," she disagreed immediately. "You said at dinner that you wanted to be involved. One step at a time were your exact words if I recall. You get a say." She picked up her own croissant, dabbing on a healthy dose of jam before taking a bite of her breakfast. When he still didn't respond, she just smiled, "Tell you what, I will have the ultrasound tech write it down and put it in an envelope and if you want to know you can," she assured him.

"You aren't going to know?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He was thankful that she took the decision off the table for him. He wasn't sure what he wanted to know and what he didn't, but he liked that she was giving him the option. Mostly he was intrigued by the knowledge that she didn't want to know. "I imagine that most expectant mothers want to know what to expect."

"Well, I hate surprises. It goes against everything in my nature. I like to plan everything, but I think this is something I have to just let happen. The techs are only making an educated guess anyway. I think its better this way. Sometimes they are wrong and what if it's a boy and we call it she the whole time or vice versa. That can't be good for it. I think it's better if it just remains an it or we know for certain. It's only a few more months. I think I can handle it," Caroline said before taking another bite. The planner in her was screaming at her for her decision. She needed color patterns and crib choices and personalized wall hangings. The nursery needed to be perfect before her child arrived, but it was going to have to wait or at the very least be gender-neutral. She had read somewhere that was better for the child anyway. "Did you want to come to the appointment with me?"

"I thought Stefan attended those with you?"

"He does, but you are allowed to come too. It's your child, you are allowed to come. They actually encourage it."

"I think it's best if Stefan just handles that for now." Klaus spoke, before catching sight of the clock above Caroline's oven. "I'd prefer not to eat and run, but I have a meeting in forty-five minutes." He stood from the stool. "Thank you for the cake and the conversation. It's been lovely, Caroline." He looked down at her for a moment, unsure of how to end the encounter.

"I'll walk you down. I have to leave anyway." She took the last bite of her croissant, quickly placing everything back in her fridge. She motioned for him to follow her, locking the door behind them before they made their way down to the bakery underneath. Ignoring the confused glances from Elena as she stood behind the counter with Katherine and Damon, Caroline turned to Klaus once they reached the door. "I'll call you after the appointment and let you know how everything went." She told him before letting him head out the door. She moved back behind the counter to get a bit more coffee before she headed out the door. In theory, she knew it would do nothing to wake her up considering she had to stick to decaf, but it was such a part of her morning routine, she couldn't escape it.

"What was that?" Elena snapped, her hand resting expectantly on her hip. When Caroline turned back to look at her, the brunette was positively fuming. "He spent the night, Caroline?"

"Yes, but it isn't what you think," she told her.

"Give her a break, Elena. She's already pregnant, what else could happen?" Damon teased, earning a smirk from Katherine and a glare from Elena. Sometimes he wondered how identical twins could be so different.

"It wasn't what you think either," Caroline said, her brows furrowing as she looked at Damon. "When I dropped the cake off last night, things didn't exactly go well. It was an ambush. His mother, who is crazy by the way, knew I was pregnant and invited me to join them for dinner so she could call me out and ask me which of her sons had fathered the child in front of everyone." She ran her hand over her face as a gasp left Elena. "It was humiliating, but Klaus saved me from having to answer and then got into a fight with his step father, who is worse than the mother, and Stefan walked me to the Metro. I came back here and Klaus showed up with a black eye. We just talked, Elena, and he fell asleep on the couch."

"I just want you to be careful, Caroline. He's an ass, he's always been an ass," Elena said.

"I am careful. He's not as bad as we originally thought. He was just as scared as I was and lashed out," she said, tugging her jacket around her body before beginning to button it up. "Regardless, he's the baby's father. The two of us getting along is a good thing," she said, pulling her blond curls from the collar of her jacket. "I will see you later, I need to go meet Rebekah. Nothing fits anymore. I need to remedy that."

Forty-five minutes later, Caroline found Rebekah standing outside of a small boutique in the Penn Quarter. She watched as Rebekah pulled her sunglasses off, looking over at Caroline. "You're late. We have a lot of ground to cover."

"You can blame your brother for that. He slept on my couch last night after his fight with your father," Caroline informed her, tugging her purse on her shoulder.

"Well that certainly explains why he wouldn't go home with Elijah. He had a better idea of where to tend to his wounds." Rebekah only looked ahead as they wandered down one of the main shopping streets in the district.

"Rebekah, where are we going? I can't afford any of these stores. When I suggested shopping, I was thinking more along the lines of H&M and The Gap," Caroline said, struggling to keep up with Rebekah's brisk pace. It was clear that the blonde did not take shopping lightly, but Caroline would not have expected anything less. She had been with Rebekah when she picked out her wedding gown after all. It was the first time she actually saw the bridal attendant cry instead of the bride.

"I'm buying," she stated as if it was already fact.

"No, Rebekah, the whole point I'm trying to prove to your family is that I don't need their money. I can't let you buy me maternity clothes, especially ones that are so expensive. It enforces everything they said about me last night." Caroline stopped moving, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"Okay first of all, you don't have to prove anything to my family. While I love them dearly, politics are ruthless and it has bleed into the way they handle all matters, at work or otherwise. Nothing they said about you was true, and the only ones that matter know that. As for last night, that is precisely why you will let me pay or everything today. As an apology for my family acting like a pack of wild dogs," Rebekah said, crossing her arms in annoyance that Caroline was no longer following her and slowing down this entire process. She was used to getting her way and this would be no exception. "Besides, that child you are carrying is _my _niece or nephew. I refuse to allow his or her mother to wear anything purchased at the Gap." She shook her head, her shoulders shuddering with disgust. "Now come along, we have a lot of ground to cover, your bump is growing by the moment."

Caroline could only smile and shake her head, "Fine, but nothing too expensive." She walked briskly to catch up with Rebekah, knowing far better than to argue with her.

Two hours later, Caroline found herself sitting across from Rebekah at a small café in the quarter. The two women were surrounded by shopping bags, more than Rebekah thought she would be able to carry home. Each was filled with the necessary clothes to get her through the next few months; jeans with belly bands that would grow with her bump. Maxi dresses, tunics, cardigan sweaters, everything paid for with Rebekah's credit card.

"It's kind of sad that I'm only going to get to wear this stuff for a few months. Some of it is really cute, not to mention expensive," Caroline said, taking a sip from the water sitting on the table as they waited for their food.

"That's what maternity clothes are meant for. Just be thankful fashion has evolved and they are no longer relegating pregnant women to oversized sweaters and unflattering tents. I know I certainly would not even be entertaining the idea of children if that were not the case."

"Isn't it a little early for you and Stefan to be thinking about kids? He still has to finish his training and you guys just got married."

"Says the unmarried pregnant woman."

"Mine was an accident. What you are talking about is something else entirely."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about. We've discussed the subject of children. It would have been irresponsible to get married without the subject coming up and us being on the same page about it."

"And?" Caroline asked expectantly.

"We both want children when the time is right, which is not right now. Someday in the future. The far off future. Very far off."

"That's probably for the best. I can't exactly see you changing diapers and reading bedtime stories, Rebekah," Caroline said, wrinkling her nose.

"I will have you know that when the time is right and I choose to have children, I will be fantastic at it," Rebekah defended, "And a very well trained live in nanny." She smirked, looking up when the waitress set their lunch in front of them. "You know, I'm a bit disappointed, I was expecting something a bit odder." Rebekah motioned to the plate of pasta sitting in front of Caroline.

"The cravings haven't been that strange yet. Just when I see something. Like last night all I wanted was cake. That's why I made it in the middle of the night."

"When Nik came over," Rebekah said, glancing up from the salad she was eating. "What exactly happened last night?"

"Nothing as scandalous as your tone is implying," Caroline deflected.

"And yet you still aren't answering my question," Rebekah pointed her fork at Caroline.

"Nothing happened. I'm still not even sure if he wants to be involved in all of this. He came over with a black eye and I asked him in for cake. He apologized about what happened and we talked. That's it. I tried to get him to talk more about the baby, I even invited him to the scan this week, but he looked like a deer caught in the headlights," she laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know, Rebekah, I'm just glad he's not acting like I tried to ruin his life anymore."

"My brother is an ass. He speaks before he thinks and acts when he knows he shouldn't. It's a curse having a temper like that, but I will tell you he doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do. He doesn't like change, but he's getting used to it. He's just trying to come around to it all. He's never liked being rushed, but I can tell he's warming to the idea. He's very loyal to the people he cares about."

Caroline smiled at the words. Klaus had said nearly the same thing to the night before, letting her know that he included her in that category. She had to wonder what had made him that way though, "Can I ask you a question? Who's Tatia? Your father mentioned him at dinner last night and I've been curious since. I didn't think asking Klaus would go over well."

"It's best that you don't bring up Tatia around my brother. I think he'd prefer not to speak of her. Ever again," Rebekah said, putting her fork down and settling her arms in front of her on the table. "Tatia was my brother's last girlfriend. Only girlfriend really. He was always adamantly against being tied down, but Tatia swept into his life and changed all of that. None of us particularly liked her, but he was positively smitten, it was disgusting." She sighed, shaking her head before continuing. "He even told Elijah he was planning on proposing. Then the stories began breaking. Things about our family in the press. Things people couldn't possibly know. The biggest of all being that Mikael wasn't Klaus's biological father. We couldn't find the leak and then suspicion fell on Tatia. Klaus wouldn't listen to anyone or reason in general. The stories began around the same time Tatia moved in. It didn't take much investigating to find out she was cashing the checks."

"That's horrible."

"When we finally were able to convince him what she had done, he was crushed. She was using him completely. Lied about everything but her name. He hasn't quite been the same since. The press ostracized him for being the bastard son. It was horrible for him and for all of us to watch him go through it."

"How could someone do that to another person? I don't understand how someone could use someone like that." Caroline tried to hide the disgust on her face, but she knew it was evident. She didn't understand how anyone could be that cruel to another person.

"Some people are abominable. There's no other way around it." Rebekah sighed, lifting her fork and turning her attention back to her salad.


	11. Where We Gonna Go From Here?

**Chapter Eleven – Where We Gonna Go From Here**

_All your ways and all your thunder  
Got me in a haze running for cover  
Where we gonna go from here?_

"Did you do the bar order?" Caroline asked, looking up from her clipboard. The shop was almost empty, save for a few chatting housewives at a corner table. It was their early afternoon lull. It happened every day. The morning rush for coffee and muffins was over in the bakery and the early afternoon drinkers had not wandered into the bar. It was a few easy hours of moms and their kids in for cookies and, of course, her favorite couple sitting at their usual table with their two cups of coffee.

As Damon continued to wipe down the bar, she looked up at him expectantly. One of her tiny hands resting on her hip and the other resting the clipboard against her bump. It seemed to grow every day, much to Caroline's chagrin, "Damon, if you didn't do the bar order, I'm going to strangle you. It was due two hours ago and between you and Katherine, we are always out of bourbon these days."

"Calm down, Blondie. Don't break your water over it," he said, smirking to himself about his own joke. "I already turned it in. It's one less thing for you to do. Just take a breath before that your kid develops that same neck vein throbbing that you have going right now."

"My vein is not throbbing," she said, her hand flying to her neck to block it from his view. She felt it for a moment before shaking her head, "We have so much left to do before I have to leave for this OB appointment. What time does Katherine come in? I think I'm going to need her help with inventory while you work the bar otherwise, I'm never going to get this done. Elena and Jeremy sure picked a hell of a weekend to go visit their aunt and uncle in Mystic Falls." She shook her head.

"Katherine will be here soon, but I have to take off. Plans with Stef..an," he said, tossing the rag over her shoulder.

Caroline's brows pinched together, studying him for a moment. She had never been close friends with Damon, but she had known him most of her life. He wasn't a difficult tell. "You're lying. Stefan is going to the doctor's appointment with me. What are you really doing?"

"Nothing, Caroline. Can't I just have a night off?" Damon asked, putting his hands up in the air innocently.

Caroline eyed him suspiciously before letting it go. "Fine, but you owe me." She pointed her pen at him before disappearing into the storage room.

"I think that baby is messing with you brain," Damon muttered under his breath as he continued to wipe down the bar.

Caroline immersed herself in the inventory. She tried to stay on top of it, but with the baby things had lapsed lately and Elena was certainly not as regimented with organization as Caroline was. The blonde straightened and counted the contents of each shelf, writing them down on the clipboard. This was her element. She loved organizing and sorting. It was a strange hobby. She knew, but it played right into her innate neuroses and it was very good for their business.

"Caroline!" Damon called out for her. "I think you should get out here." Caroline sighed, walking out of the storage room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw five men in suits standing in the now empty bakery. "You want to tell me why the Men in Black just asked everyone to vacate the premise?"

"Actually, you can go as well, Mr. Salvatore." Caroline and Damon both looked up to see Mikael standing there, walking out from his place behind the two security details.

"Actually, I think I'd prefer that he stay," Caroline said, setting her clipboard down on the edge of the bar as she stopped next to Damon. Damon glanced over at her, trying to figure out what was going on. "To what exactly do we owe this pleasure of this visit, Ambassador?" The words burned her tongue, full of false sincerity and forced politeness. There was something about him that made her feel uneasy, but she knew the feeling would be even worse if Damon wasn't there. "Is this official business?"

"Actually it's a personal call," Mikael said, nodding to two of the men, who quickly stepped out of the way. "First of all, I feel you are owed an apology for my family's behavior last week. My wife is not particularly delicate when it comes to matters involving her children. Something I'm sure that you can relate to, given your condition." He motioned to her stomach. "I feel as though some kind of retribution is owed, which is why I'm here."

Caroline raised an eyebrow, watching him carefully as he pulled a small folded paper out of his pocket. She didn't know what his angle was, but each move he made increased her uneasiness.

"I know that our previous interactions have been less than ideal. Stress is bad for the child and politics can be extraordinarily stressful. It's not a place for someone in your condition. I think that your previous interactions with my family have proven that to you. What you need is anonymity, and stability, Ms. Forbes. Things that are best for your child. My step son is reckless and arrogant. He is too selfish for a child. I think you know that by now. Though technically the child is not my family by blood, I do feel a certain obligation to look out for its well-being. And what's in that child and your best interest, Ms. Forbes, is a life away from politics and the public eye and I would like to facilitate that." He took a few steps towards her, extending the small piece of paper. Caroline unfolded it, her eyes widening as she stared down at the seven zeros that followed the one.

"Ten million dollars," Caroline croaked out.

"It should be more than enough for you and the child to live comfortably wherever you choose away from all of this. You can put this whole mess behind you. That's what's in everyone's best interest," he said, his hands clasped behind his back. "Now we would just need to get a simple non-disclosure agreement out of the way and then everything would be taken care of."

Caroline folded the check back, "So this is hush money? Go away and never tell anyone what happened or whose baby I'm carrying? That would work out really well for you," she said, tearing the check in half and handing it back to him. "I don't want your money. I never did."

Mikael's jaw ticked with annoyance as he looked down at the torn paper in his hand. "Caroline, I'm not sure what you think you stand to gain in this situation. Niklaus is unpredictable and unreliable. I don't know what he's tried to tell you or convince you of, but he will change his mind about you and this child. He will push you both away _after_ he destroys your life. That boy destroys everything he touches. And rest assured that when that day comes, you will be looking at a check with a lot less zeros attached."

"You cannot pay me off or pay me to go away. This is where I live and where I work. I'm not leaving town simply because me being here doesn't fit into your plans. I have no intention of ruining your political career. You can't pay me to walk out of Klaus's life, especially when he wants to be involved with his child. You don't get to make that decision."

"I think you should reconsider, love."

"Do _not_ call me love." She shook her head, taking a step forward.

"I think you should leave," Damon finally interjected, his arm shooting out across Caroline's body to stop her from taking a step forward. It wasn't for Caroline's sake this time. It was Mikael's. He had known Caroline for long enough to know that it took a lot to get her as angry as she was right now. He wasn't sure what he would do, but he knew she would regret it. "In this country, we have a right to refuse service and I'm invoking it. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Caroline and Damon stared as the ambassador reluctantly retreated out the back door with his security team. Both of them looked at each other before Damon helped Caroline sit down in one of the bar stools.

"What's with the caravan?" Katherine asked as she walked inside the bar and why is this place so empty?" She dropped her jacket onto the chair, taking a step behind the bar.

"You okay?" Damon asked, looking down at the blond, his hand still resting on her shoulder. Caroline looked up at him and nodded, the action seemed snap him out of his revere. "Alright, I'm out of here. I'll see you ladies later." He grabbed his jacket from under the counter and walked out the door.

"What just happened?" Katherine asked, raising an eyebrow as she grabbed one of the brown bottles from the top shelf and poured herself a glass.

"Huh?" Caroline asked before snapping out of her fog and looking up at Katherine, "Oh sorry. The president wanted a cupcake," she lied, waving her hand dismissively. "I have to go. I'm meeting Stefan for the eighteen week scan. Kasey will be here soon. The place is empty so if you get some time, maybe finish up inventory. I've done most of it." Caroline slid very carefully off the barstool before walking over to get her jacket off the coat rack. "Oh and don't drink all the bourbon! Liquor order doesn't come in until tomorrow."

Caroline tugged on her jacket before walking out into the door. She pulled out her phone as she slipped into the back of a cab, sending a text message to Stefan and asking him not to tell anyone about that happened with Mikael, especially Stefan. It seemed the Mikaelson children had enough trouble getting along with their father without things like this. Mikael already seemed to dislike her, she didn't need Rebekah and Klaus to be angry with him for her sake on top of it all.

It didn't take her long to get to the hospital, wandering up to the maternity ward for her appointment. Seeing no sign of Stefan, she sighed herself in and took a seat, picking up one of the magazines.

"Sorry, I'm late," Stefan said, taking a seat next to Caroline.

She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow when she saw a few red flecks and patches on his neck and collarbone, "Umm… you have a little…" She motioned towards his body. His hand shot up to try to wipe it away.

"I thought I got all of that in the shower."

"Clearly, someone needs to teach you how to shower," she said without looking up from her magazine, "And by someone I mean Rebekah, I didn't realize how sexual that sounded until after I said it. Anyway, moving on, please tell me that's fruit punch and not what I think it is."

"I was helping out in the emergency room this morning. Got a little messy. Arterial spray," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Alright, Dexter, that's disgusting." She set her magazine aside, looking over at him.

"The patient survived."

"Either way. Less blood at the next appointment, please." She was thankful for his distraction. It made it that much easier for her to ignore everything that had happened with Mikael, but it was still on the forefront of her mind. It wasn't as though he had been rude, on the contrary he had been very polite, but Caroline had easily read through the lines of what he had said to her. The underlying threat in his words had not been lost on her. He wanted her out of the picture and she couldn't imagine an ambassador was a good enemy to have. What she hadn't decided yet was whether he wanted her gone because of her potentially damaging affect to his political career or his desire to see Klaus unhappy. Either way, Caroline had no intention of giving him what he wanted, nor did she want any part of his money.

"Ms. Forbes," the nurse called out, interrupting Caroline's thoughts. Stefan was the first to stand up, reaching down to help Caroline up from her chair. The two of them walked back to the room and as per their usual routine, Stefan waited outside until Caroline changed into her hospital gown.

"Afternoon, Caroline. How are you feeling?" Dr. Fell asked as she walked into the room, holding Caroline's chart.

"I'm alright. There's been some soreness, but not a lot of pain," Caroline explained as the doctor cuffed the blood pressure cuff onto her arm. "The morning sickness has essentially subsided and I think things are going really well." She winced when the cuff tightened around her arm.

"Your blood pressure is pretty high. Is everything okay?" Dr. Fell asked, hanging her stethoscope back around her neck.

"Of course!" she said much too quickly. "Well, I mean, I've been inventory at the shop and my bartender has been taking a lot of time off and I guess that's been pretty stressful. I've been trying to take it easy, but I know I haven't been as much as I probably should be. There just a lot to do."

"Well, it's having an effect on your blood pressure which is not good for the baby so we'll have to keep an eye on that. Hopefully, it's just a side effect of work. I just want you to take a little more initiative on resting and being less stressed," Dr. Fell said, turning on the machine. "Are you ready to see the little guy or girl? Oh and have you made a decision about finding out the sex of the baby?"

Caroline bit her lip, leaning back against the chair as the doctor adjusted the sheet over her lap. "I have. I don't want to know. I think I'm just going to wait until he or she makes their grand appearance into the world. The baby's father isn't sure whether he wants to know or not. So I was wondering if you could write it down and put it in an envelope for him so he can decide for himself?" she asked.

"Sure thing, Caroline. Let's just see if the baby is growing okay." The doctor picked up the conductive gel before squirting it onto Caroline's growing bump. Using the wand, she spread it around, bringing up the image up on the screen. "There it is." She smiled as the baby came up on the screen.

Caroline smiled, looking at her baby. It was so different than the first time she had seen it. It actually looked like a baby this time. Her eyes swelled with fresh tears as she looked at screen, her entire focus on it. It was her child in there and nothing ever mattered more. She would do whatever it took to keep him or her safe. She felt Stefan's hand on her arm her own hand moved to give it a little squeeze.

"Well, I'm happy to report that everything looks good. The gestational size is right on point for where we thought he or she would be. I can confirm that you are around eighteen weeks so your due date is accurate. Everything looks good," Dr. Fell told her. "I'm going to go find an envelope for the gender and the nurse is going to come in and take a few vials of blood for some tests. I'll be back." She made her way out of the room, taking her clipboard with her.

"You really don't want to know the sex?" Stefan asked, looking over at her.

"No, I think I want to be a surprise. Plus, do you know how often those things are wrong? What if it's wrong? I don't want to be disappointed or have a room full of pink when it's supposed to be blue or green or if he wants it to be pink too, that's fine," Caroline said, wiping the gel from her stomach before the nurse walked in.

"That's just surprising. You are normally a control freak."

"I am not a control freak," she said, before he gave her a look, "Alright, I'm a little bit of a control freak, but I can be better. This baby deserves to come into the world with no expectations. I owe it that much." She nodded with certainty, holding her arm out to the nurse. She only winced for a moment as they drew the blood from her arm.

"Well, I'm sure whatever crazy website your read that on is right," Stefan said with a chuckle.

"Actually, I read it in a baby book. By an actual doctor. So you can't tell me I'm being ridiculous on this one." She pointed out, closing her eyes and the nurse withdrew the needle and bandaged her up.

"Alright, I'll take your word for it," Stefan said, "I have to get back to work. Do you think I can get yourself out alone?"

"I'll be okay. I'm just going to go get some Chinese and head home to finish inventory," she said, holding the gown against her chest as she sat up.

"The MSG in Chinese is bad for the baby." He handed her the stack of clothes she had taken off before the exam.

"Fine. I'll get thai." She smirked. "Go be a doctor. I'll see you later." She watched him walk out of the office.

Once the door closed behind him, she began to get dressed. She was buttoning up her coat up her coat when the doctor knocked on the door once again. "Hi, I have the envelope," she said, extending the small paper to her.

"Thank you." Caroline took it, tucking it in her purse.

"If you don't mind me asking, where has the father been at the appointments? I always assumed it was Stefan's older brother since I've heard he's not the most responsible person in the world."

Caroline chuckled, shaking her head, "No, definitely not Damon. We're just friends. The father is still wrapping his mind around all of this. He's finally starting to accept it, but I doubt you'll be seeing him anytime soon. He's a little skittish with pregnancy."

"Well, I hope he isn't skittish around babies for your sake. I'll see you next month, Caroline."

"Thank you, Dr. Fell." Caroline slipped the purse over her shoulder before making her way out of the hospital.

"Where to, Miss?" The cab driver asked as she slipped into the first cab she saw sitting outside the hospital.

"K street and-" she paused before rethinking her decision. "Actually East and 6th street please," she nodded, closing the door as she settled into the backseat. Her hands rested on the bump as she sat there, thinking about what she was about to do. She was still wound up from the day she had had, especially her talk with Mikael. She had yet to decide whether or not this was a good idea, but she knew it was what she wanted to do. What she needed to do for her baby's sake.

"Here we are," he said, pulling up to a large steel and glass building.

"Thank you." Caroline paid the fare and slipped out of the car. "On second thought, keep the meter running. I'll be right back." She closed the door before walking into the building. It only took her a minute to find her way into the elevator, finding herself outside a large steel door. She took a breath before knocking on the door, sliding the envelope out of her pocket. She was just about to turn around and head out when the door opened.

"Caroline," Klaus said, "I wasn't expecting you." He stood in the doorway in a rag in his hands as he wiped the paint away from his hands. It was the first time Caroline had ever seen him in anything less than a perfectly tailored suit.

"Well, I promised you this." Caroline extended her envelope to him. "I just came from the doctor's office. I don't know what the gender is, but if you decide you can."

He watched her carefully before taking the envelope from her. "I appreciate it, love. I'd invite you in, but I believe turpentine and paint fumes are bad for the child."

"It's alright, I need to get back to the shop anyway. Inventory. The cab is waiting downstairs," she said, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. She watched him for a moment, taking in his paint splattered appearance. "Do you want to go to dinner this Friday?"

"Did you want to discuss something about the pregnancy?" he asked a little confused.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

A small smirk crept across his face, "I'll pick you up at six."

"See you then."


	12. We Might Fall

**Chapter Twelve – We Might Fall**

_We should go to sleep now, you should stay the night  
I'll be up to watch the world around us live and die  
Lying on the grass now, dancing for the stars  
Maybe one will look on down and tell us who we are  
We might fall_

"So dinner? With Caroline?" Elijah asked again, eyeing his younger brother suspiciously.

"Actually, I had intentions of taking her to The Phillips Collection to see the show that just opened, but dinner would perhaps be on the agenda as well. That was her original question after all," Klaus said, flipping through the stack of files on his desk as he searched for one in particular.

"And this is about your child?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow.

Klaus looked up at the older man, a smirk forming on his lips as he took in his worried expression. He understood Elijah's concern, but that did not mean it didn't amuse him, "It's a date, Elijah. I am capable of having social interactions that do not revolve around business or sexual gratification."

"I'm aware. I would like to think the faith I have in you is not misguided, brother," Elijah said, "I just want you to be careful with her. This isn't simply a girl that tickled your fancy. She's the mother of your child. You can't act like you normally do with women," he lectured.

"_I'm aware_," he mocked, setting the folders back on his desk in a separate pile. He folded his fingers together, sitting them on the desk as he looked up at Elijah. "I know that Caroline is not something to be played with. I also know that I have no intention of playing with her. The situation is delicate."

"Exactly. It's delicate. You are finally at a place in your relationship with Caroline where you two can co-exist peacefully. You are both interested in what's best for your child. You are both being proactive to get along and make the best environment for your child. I am completely on board with the two of you trying to make things work, especially considering you have not given it a chance yet."

"But.." Klaus spoke, attempting to speed up his brother's speech.

"But I know you and how you operate. You have not had a solid relationship in nearly three years and quite frankly, I like Caroline, as do Rebekah and Henrik and Kol. Everyone wants to be involved in this child's life. No one wants to be shut out," Elijah said.

"Why don't you let me handle my own relationships and worry about your own, Elijah? When was the last time you brought anyone home to our family?" Klaus questioned, looking up at his brother. He stood from his desk and paced around it, extending the file to Elijah. "I believe this is what you asked for."

Elijah sighed, taking the file from him before he looked at his younger brother, "I just want you to be careful with her."

"I am," Klaus agreed. "Now, If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work. I have a lot to finish before the end of the day. Finn barges in here like he owns the place when all of the paperwork is not filed properly. While I love going toe to toe with our older brother, I have better things to do this evening. It's bad enough when you lecture me, I cannot sit through two in one day." He pinched the bridge of his nose, making his way back over to his desk.

| Oh What A Night |

"Alright, I've finished the inventory, slave driver," Katherine said, dropping Caroline's beloved clipboard on the kitchen counter, making the blonde cringe at the sound.

"I am not a slave driver. I just need to get inventory done so I can get the order in before the next quarter starts. I know you know the bar industry well, but spring is HUGE for the baking business. For some reason when those flowers bloom, things go a little cuckoo around here. People want cupcakes and cookies and cakes by the truck load, I didn't get a day off in two months last year. That's why we're going to be prepared this year. Extra help, extra hours, and a fully stocked backroom. I am not going to get buried in orders again," Caroline said, shaking her head as she looked over the list that Katherine had dropped on the counter.

"You make it sound like a war," Katherine said. She sat down on one of the stools in the kitchen, swinging one boot-clad leg over the other as she watched Caroline swirl around the kitchen. It was amusing to say the least. Like watching a chicken with it's head chopped off. Caroline was running around in a particularly crazed fashion at the moment. She was used to the sight, Caroline often did this, but this was more running around than Katherine was used to.

"There's a reason they call it Cupcake Wars," Caroline said with complete seriousness as she pointed her pen at Katherine.

"Alright, Bobbie Flay, why don't you calm it down a few notches?" Katherine said, shaking her head. "What is going on with you anyway? You are running around here like you've been taking bath salts. Or snorting bath salts? I'm not entirely sure how that works."

"Alright, Elena."

"Ouch."

"I'm just trying to get everything ready for tonight since I'm not going to be here. This is the first Friday I've taken off in months and I want to make sure everything runs smoothly in my absence. I'm nervous, I can't help it," she said, setting the clipboard down on the counter.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm here and Kasey and the other counter girl-"

"Bailey. And do not under any circumstances leave her alone with Damon. She's the _only _one we have who has not slept with him and I do not intend on letting that change now."

"The only one?" Katherine asked raising an eyebrow.

"The only one of the counter girls. I love Damon, but I wouldn't touch that with a twenty foot pole. I don't know where he's been and I'm pretty sure Elena has the same opinion that I do," Caroline said, shaking her head.

"Regardless, the four of us can handle it. I'm not worried," she said, looking over at her. "Just relax, enjoy your date. Get laid. God knows you need it."

"I am not having sex with Klaus," Caroline said, shaking her head.

"Why? What's the worst that could happen? It's not like he can get you pregnant again?" Katherine said, dipping her pinkie into the frosting Caroline was whipping up and bringing it to her lips.

"Because despite the fact that my hormones are out of control crazy and I'm so turned on all the freaking time, I am not the kind of person who has sex on the first date or the second. And I know that seems completely ludicrous considering I got pregnant the night I met him, but still. It's a new start, a fresh one. It doesn't matter how much we already know each other. This is a first date and I'm going to treat it like one. It isn't a game," Caroline shook her head. "It doesn't matter how hard up I am."

"Or how hard up I am apparently," Katherine huffed crossing her arms, "I was going to live vicariously through you."

Caroline gave her a look, "You are the one who is both single and not with child. You could have anyone you want. Just go sleep with someone, preferably not while you are working. I do not have time to bring in a cleaning crew to scrub down whatever surface you choose for your bidding. Just do it at Jeremy's."

"It's been a while, I'm not exactly on the prowl at the moment," Katherine said, straightening her jacket.

"And you think I would fare better?" Caroline asked, raising an eyebrow. "Let me tell you, the extra curve does nothing to pull the men in." She shook her head.

"Yes, but you have a baby daddy. He's practically legally required to see to your needs while you are incubating his kid."

"I'm still not having sex with him. I don't care how bad you want me too," she laughed, taking the frosting off the mixer and beginning to put it into a piping bag. "So how long has it been for you? If you are this desperate to live vicariously through me then it's been a minute," Caroline asked, tightening the open end of the bag.

"I haven't since I left New York. This whole mess with Trevor has left me a little out of it."

"It really hit you hard didn't it?" The Blonde asked, setting her piping back down. "What exactly happened?"

Katherine sighed, leaning against the counter. "We just drifted apart. I don't know how else to explain it. We stopped talking and started sleeping with other people and not telling each other. There was no passion so we both looked elsewhere. Simple as that." She uncrossed her legs and stood up, a clear sign she was done with the conversation. Caroline knew that much. Katherine had never really been one for words, it surprised her that she had been this forthcoming with details to begin with. The last thing she wanted to do was push her to talk about something that was that painful. "I think I should get back out to the bar. Let me know if you need any more inventory done. Or don't let me know. I think I would prefer that actually." She smirked before seeing herself out of the kitchen.

Once the cupcakes were frosted and placed out in the front counter for the afternoon rush, Caroline finally retreated up to her apartment. It all would have been much easier if she did not have to work around the bump, but she found herself thankful that Rebekah had insisted on getting maternity dresses when they were out shopping a few weeks prior. Choosing one wasn't as simple as she had hoped it would be.

"Care, Klaus is here," Katherine spoke into the intercom, causing Caroline to scramble over to it in her bathrobe and curlers.

"Five minutes," she said before frantically making her way over to the closet and hastily choosing a dark purple bohemian style dress and fitting a black blazer over it. It was comical really. The blazer wouldn't even entertain the idea of sitting around her bump, but Rebekah had insisted it looked cute and Caroline didn't have much of a choice. She pulled the curlers from her hair and ran her fingers through it, brushing on a touch of mascara and eye liner. She stepped into a pair of black heels before making her way downstairs, noticing Klaus sitting at the bar being grilled by Katherine and Damon.

"Bring her home in one piece," Katherine said.

"And preferably not pregnant with another kid. It's bad enough we have one take care of," Damon added.

"But do try to scratch that itch, it's been a while for her," Katherine added with a whisper.

"And on that note," Caroline said loudly. It drew all of their attention back to her. "Hi, I'm ready," she said, looking at Klaus.

"I can see that. You look lovely, Caroline," Klaus said, sliding off of the bar stool.

"Thank you." She smiled before looking past him, "And you two. Seriously?" she asked, crossing her arms, "I can't leave you alone for five minutes. This place better be standing when I get back," she threatened.

"Okay, Mom."

"Bye," she said, looking back at the two of them as she took Klaus's arm and headed out of the door. "Sorry, they are a spirited bunch."

"That wasn't your friend Elena was it? She seemed different," Klaus asked as the driver opened the door for them.

"No, that would be Elena's twin sister Katherine. They couldn't be more different if they tried," she explained, sliding carefully into the backseat of the car before shooting over so Klaus could join her. The task was easier said than done with the bump getting in her way at each and every turn. "So where are we going?" she asked curiously as the door closed behind him.

"There's a new exhibit at The Phillips Collection. Pollock and Ossorio. A few others. It hasn't opened yet, but I know someone. I thought you might enjoy some art," he explained, resting his arm on the back of Caroline's seat.

"That sounds perfect. I've been wanting to see that since I heard about it. I just thought I'd have to wait until the hype died down. I suppose being the ambassador's step son has some perks, huh?"

"Not exactly," he said with a smirk.

The drive to the museum was quick, it was practically around the corner from Caroline's building. The car stopped out front and Klaus extended his hand to help her from the vehicle. Once inside, they were escorted into a small backroom where they were promptly left alone with the paintings.

"What is the exhibit called?" Caroline asked as she gravitated towards an untitled Alfonso Ossorio piece. She tilted her head to the side, studying the red and black brush strokes and the loosely etched figures. She glanced back at him, taking in his smirk.

"Angels, Demons, and Savages," he said, walking behind her to study the piece that she was staring at so intently.

"Fitting," she said, her own smirk gracing her lips.

"This is not my favorite piece in the collection." His hand ghosted down her arm before taking her hand at the finger tips. He pursed his lips as he glanced around the rudimentary room and the extraordinary paintings it held. "This one," he said, gently moving her towards a staunchly red and black piece by the same artist. Caroline leaned over to read the plate at the bottom of the frame, _Red Family._

She studied it for a moment. There was three, maybe four figures depending on which way she tilted her head. They were lost, struggling amongst a sea of black and dark. There was something sad about it, and also happy and Caroline couldn't explain it in words, just a feeling. She had taken a basic art history course in college, part of her undergrad, but it didn't prepare her for this. All of the art she had seen was a challenge, something that took patience and talent and was laid out, perfectly crafted and this was not that. It was messy and visceral. Emotional. Something she had never felt looking at art before.

"There's something about it…" she stopped when she realized she didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"I know. No one word comes to mind but Litost," he said, causing Caroline to turn around.

"Litost?" Caroline questioned with a confused expression.

"_Litost_," he pronounced it correctly for her. "It's Czech."

"My Czech is a little rusty," she smirked, teasing him.

"The word doesn't exist in English. It means a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one's own misery. I think it fits this painting well. There's something about it that tears at your insides. It's almost as if everything you've ever felt floods your senses at once."

"No, no I get it. You can kind of feel the pain just looking at it."

"It's like a black hole. It doesn't hit you all at once, it kind of creeps in and takes hold of you," he said, taking her shoulders and gently pulling her away from painting. "The key is not to look at it for too long. Otherwise you become severely engrossed," he whispered, moving onto the next painting and allowing Caroline to wander throughout the room.

"Mr. Mikaelson, would you like to see where we've moved your painting?" the curator asked after peeking his head in the door.

"That won't be necessary."

"Your piece? Are you saying that you have a piece in this museum?" Caroline asked, raising her eyebrow. She looked to Klaus before looking at the curator. "I would love to see it."

"Right this way." He motioned for them to follow him up the stairs and out of the basement storage. "We've placed it in the lower floor East Gallery, better lighting to showcase your piece." He showed them into the room and Caroline gravitated to the abstract painting, reminiscent of a snowflake.

"You know I figured you painted after your turpentine comment the other day, and the smell of course, but you are really something," Caroline said. Her eyes moved over the painting, following the brush strokes. She glanced back at him. "It's beautiful, kind of a sad kind of beauty. I really like it."

"This is what I do when I'm not selling my soul at the embassy," he spoke, looking down at her. It was the first time she had seen anything even resembling modesty coming from him. "How about dessert? I'd normally take you for drinks, but I don't think that's allowed in your condition."

"Dessert sounds perfect. I know just the place," Caroline said with a smile. She led him out of the museum and the two of them dropped into the subway.

"Where are you taking me?" Klaus asked, holding the bar on the subway so Caroline could take the open seat.

"When I'm not at my own place, there's an ice cream shop. So good. It's actually in your neck of the woods. It's right by the National Archives," she explained as they changed trains to make it on the right line.

"You are aware it's fifty degrees outside," Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat next to Caroline on the next train.

"It's never too cold for ice cream. It's practically a law," she told him, leaning into him as the train took off to steady herself.

"If you say so." He shook his head, looking at her. Once the train stopped the two of them stepped off and headed up to the ground. "So where is this place?" Klaus asked, glancing at Caroline. He noticed the sour look on her face almost instantly. "Are you alright, Caroline?" he asked, one of his hands wrapping around her middle to support her.

"Just kind of dizzy all of the sudden. Probably the train," she said, leaning against him. Her hand gripped his shoulder as his grip on her waist tightened, holding her up.

"Well as appealing as ice cream in the middle of winter sounds, I think you had better sit down and rest," he said, holding her up. "My place is right over there." He led her back to the building, moving slowly so he didn't make her dizziness worse, making his way up to the penthouse. "Here, sit," he set her down on the couch. "Should I call a doctor?"

She eased back into the house before shaking her head, "No, it happens sometimes. Just dizzy. It's just one of the oh so lovely parts of pregnancy." Her hands rested on her bump as she looked back at him. "So this is what this place looks like with the lights on, huh?" she asked, glancing around.

"I believe the lights were on for at least part of our evening," he smirked, pulling a water bottle from the fridge and handing it to her before sitting down next to her on the couch.

"I think you may be right," she laughed, taking a drink from the water bottle and leaning her head back against the leather couch. "I take it your place does not spell like turpentine all of the time. That is a good thing to know."

"Only when I'm painting," he said, looking over at her. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better. It'll go away soon," she said, before her hand slid over her bump, both moving to one location on her side.

"What is it?" Klaus asked, his brows furrowing in concern.

"It's kicking," she said, taking his hand and moving it to the spot on her bump where the child seemed to be doing the most kicking. "Do you feel it?" She looked up at him expectantly.

"Does that hurt?" he asked, looking up at her with a smile forming on his lips.

"No, it feels strange, but it doesn't hurt." She looked down at her bump, the place where his fingers intertwined with her over the kicking. "I've felt the baby move before, but just little flutters, I never know if it's the baby or indigestion, but it's really in there."

"It really is, isn't it?" Klaus nodded.

"It's kind of amazing," she said, shifting against the couch so she could get into a more comfortable position.

Klaus didn't say anything. He simply nodded, his hand never leaving the spot on her bump where the baby had kicked. He could still feel it. It wasn't regular or steady, but every so often he would get a kick. He found that if he brushed his fingers against Caroline's skin he could coax a kick out of the small bump. He wasn't sure how long he sat like that, feeling his child kick his hand.

"Is it-" he began to ask before realizing that Caroline had drifted off. He knew that being pregnant was exhausting, recalling Sage complaining about it from time to time. His hands slipped under her gently, lifting her from the couch and carrying her into the master bedroom. He pulled back the covers before setting her down in the middle, pulling the covers back over her. The least he could do was get her a bed to sleep in. He tucked a curl behind her ear before moving to the chaise lounge in the corner of the room.


	13. Stay

**Chapter Thirteen – Stay**

_Not really sure how to feel about it.  
Something in the way you move  
Makes me feel like I can't live without you  
It takes me all the way  
I want you to stay_

"We're so glad you could meet with us, Ms. Gilbert, Ms. Forbes, I'm Dyson Thornwood. I spoke to Ms. Gilbert on the phone," Mr. Thornwood said, shaking both of their hands before inviting them to sit down at the large boardroom table.

"Yes, we did, but you were not exactly forthcoming with details if you don't mind me saying," Elena said, smoothing out her skirt as she took a seat at the table. Caroline followed suit, carefully sitting down at the table and scooting her chair in.

"And I'm sorry about that. It was not my intention to be so vague on the phone. I represent an investment firm, we're looking to get into the food industry. We've done a lot of research in the DC area as well as the surrounding areas and the name that came up continuously was yours. Everyone in town seems to be have your business on the tip of their tongue. We've done some digging into your financial figures. You ladies are doing very well for yourselves," he explained, taking a seat behind the desk. "I don't like to beat around the bush so I'll just lay it all down on the table. My firm is interested in investing in your business with franchising in mind. Have you two thought about the possibility of expanding before?"

Caroline and Elena looked at each other, both raising an eyebrow in silent conversation. Elena finally looked back at the man, "We've discussed it, but not in great detail. We have no current plans for expansion, but it's not off the table."

"From our point of view, you are perfect candidate for expansion. Our initial mock up calls for a five store plan. New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, and DC would remain your flag ship store. We would start with New York and re-evaluate in a year. If things are still going well in both stores, we would launch the remaining three over the next year," he explained in a matter of fact way.

"Well, that's a lot to digest," Caroline said, her hands folded over her bump as she leaned back into the chair. She knew the seating position made her look uninterested, but it was so difficult to sit straight up without entirely shutting the circulation to her lower half off.

"Well, we are certainly not expecting an answer today," he paused, popping open his suitcase and pulling out two perfectly correlated and bound copies of what appeared to be a business plan. He set one in front of each of them, placing his hands over top of them. "This lays out all of the details of the plan as well as the proposal we are putting on the table. It's preliminary. We know there will be many questions and possible changes. There is always room for negotiations on both sides. Take this home, look it over, digest everything. Speak to your lawyer and we'll reconvene when you feel comfortable and answer any questions you might have about it"

Caroline and Elena both picked up the packets in front of them, flipping through them at their own paces. Elena was already beginning to read each page in detail while Caroline thumbed through it with the intentions of reading it more thoroughly later. Closing it, Caroline tucked it carefully into her bag before looking up at Mr. Thornwood. "We'll be in touch, Mr. Thornwood. It was nice to meet you." She extended her hand to shake his as Elena did the same before stopping to help Caroline up.

The two women walked in silence all the way to the elevator, waiting until the doors closed to look at one another. It was a loaded glance, both trying to gauge the other's reaction before making their own thoughts known.

"So what do you think?" Elena asked, breaking the silence.

"I think we have a lot of reading and consideration. It's a huge decision."

"Especially considering you would have to move to New York," Elena added, not glancing up from the packet in her hand.

"What?" Caroline asked, her head twisting in Elena's direction.

"One of us has to be there for the first year and it doesn't make sense for me to go. You are the one with the recipes. You would have to train someone otherwise. It makes more sense for you to go. I'll have Alaric look over their proposed business plan and see what he says about it," Elena said, her nose still buried in the paperwork.

Caroline forehead pinched. Was leaving DC even an option for her right now? Things were finally good with the business and the baby and Klaus. Her mother was here or at least close. The thirty minute drive to Mystic Falls was a lot shorter than a two hour plane ride back from New York. The prospect was jarring to say the least. She had never been more than an hour from Mystic Falls. It was home. She wasn't sure anywhere else could feel like home. She had spent in entire existence within a twenty square mile box and part of her was terrified of what would happen if she ever set foot outside of it.

"Caroline?" Elena asked, snapping the blonde out of her thoughts.

"Sorry what?" Caroline asked, shaking her head.

"I just asked if you wanted to share a cab with me back to the shop," Elena repeated her question.

"Oh, no. I'm meeting Tyler for dinner at Union Station, but I'll see you tomorrow." She adjusted the bag on her shoulder as the elevator stopped at the ground floor. "I'll see you later, Lena."

Caroline tugged the oversized sweater tighter around her growing body, shielding herself from the spring breeze as she jogged down the steps of the Federal Triangle metro station. She found that she missed the sound of her heels clicking against the subway tiles as she made her way onto the metro car. She had hung up her heels, save for special occasions around her fifth month of pregnancy. Forgoing them for flat boots and ballerina slippers that gave her the sense of balance she needed to stay on her feet. It was one of the biggest sacrifices she had made this far in the pregnancy as far as she was concerned. Right up there with martinis and coffee.

She tugged at the top of her boots, making sure the slouchy boots stayed in place as she took a seat on the train. One of the positive points of being pregnant was the train. Even in rush hour she always had a seat. Who ever said chivalry was dead never rode a train with a pregnant woman in DC. By the time she reached the Union Station, three men had already offered to help her up.

Tyler was waiting inside the restaurant waiting for her when she surfaced from the subway. "Hey, how did your thing go this morning?" he asked, standing from the table and pulling her chair out for her.

"I'm not even sure what to think about it yet," she said, shaking her head. She reached for the water glass sitting on the table and took a sip. She quickly ordered herself the same white pasta that she ordered every time they came here before looking back to Tyler to offer more of an explanation. "They offered us a franchising deal. I haven't gone over the details yet, but it's a lot of money."

"That's great, Care. I mean everyone loves your food and the place is usually busy. It's not that much of a surprise that they want more locations," Tyler pointed out.

"I know and it's amazing. It's a huge business opportunity. They want us to look over their business proposal and get back to them." She unfolded the napkin and placed it on her lap. "The only problem is one of us would have to move to New York to manage the first store and train and hire a staff. It wouldn't have to be permanent but it would be at least a year. It's a huge commitment."

"So which one of you would go?"

"Elena said it would have to be me if we did it, but I don't know about it all. I mean, it's a _huge_ opportunity for us. Probably the biggest offer we're ever going to get, but I'm about to have a baby and my while life is here. Moving across the country right now seems insane. My whole family and all of my friends are here. Not to mention Klaus. I can't even entertain the idea of moving four hours away with his child without even talking to him about it," she rambled, taking another sip of her water.

"I don't exactly like the guy, but you are probably right. You can't just move away with his kid."

"I know we got off to a rocky start, but he isn't really a bad guy. There were just some bad circumstances," she said. "His family on the other hand is a piece of work. Not all of them. I love Rebekah and Elijah has been incredibly nice to me from the beginning of all of this, but his parents hate me."

"How could anyone hate you, Care?"

"I don't know, but they are sure making it look easy," she sighed, shaking her head. She had already come to terms with the fact that Mikael hated her and Esther wasn't that fond of her either, but for some reason it was upsetting her again now that she and Klaus had become involved on a romantic level. Caroline knew that despite her innate need to be well liked by everyone, there were some people that would simply never be on team Caroline and she would just have to accept it. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

"So you and Klaus…?" Tyler asked, not so subtly.

Caroline chuckled, thankful for the change of subject. "Yes, me and Klaus. It's been a complicated situation from the beginning, but we are trying our best to uncomplicated it as much as we can."

"I just never pictured you with anyone like him," Tyler admitted, shaking his head.

She raised an eyebrow, "And I never pictured you with anyone male. I think we can admit that both of our radars are a little off when it comes to each other," she smirked, teasing him.

"Touche." He picked up his fork as the waiter set their food down in front of them.

"I know he's nothing like anyone would have ever expected me to date, but circumstances change. And it's not like we're getting married. The baby doesn't change anything in our relationship. I've been careful about it. I don't want anything to happen just because of the baby. Both of us deserve better than that." She twisted her fork in her pasta before taking a bite. She swallowed before looking back up to face Tyler's disapproving glances. "We're just taking things slow and slow is good. Slow is what I need. It's just increasingly difficult considering all I want to do is jump him all the time. This is the longest I've ever gone without sex and this baby is making me insane."

"I really don't need to know about your sex life."

"I know. It's just being pregnant is the worst."

"Please stop. I cannot have this conversation with you."

She sighed, "Fine." She took another bite before glancing up at him. "So how are things with Jeremy?" The words still felt strange on her tongue even after all this time. Her feelings for Tyler had faded back to friendship long ago, but no girl expects to ask the man she had planned on spending her life with about his boyfriend. She was friends with them both though and part of being a good friend was taking an interest in the other's live. She wasn't sure this conversation was any less awkward than the one they were having a few moments ago, but she was trying.

"They're going okay. I can't complain. It's been an adjustment with Katherine there too, but we're making it work." He cut into his own food, slicing through the meat.

"I don't know why she hasn't found her own place yet. I know it's not exactly a smooth transition for her, but it's been a few months now."

"I know Jeremy likes having her around. Elena's always been more of a mom than a sister," Tyler explained, taking a bite.

"I love Elena, but she needs to calm the bossiness down a little. She practically told me I was moving to New York after that meeting. I have a lot more to consider than she does. She's the single, unattached one. I literally have a person attached to me, I don't know how much more attached you can get," she laughed.

"I'm sure you two will sort it out."

| Oh What A Night |

"What are you doing here?" Katherine asked, looking up from her spot at the bar when Klaus wandered in. "Caroline isn't back yet."

"I can wait," Klaus spoke, checking his watch, before glancing over at his brother. "Any idea how long she'll be?"

"She's at dinner with Tyler, but she was supposed to meet him an hour ago so probably soon." Katherine set down the rag on the counter and wandered out from behind the bar. She was off in five minutes anyway and Damon was already there.

"Tyler?" Klaus questioned, glancing up at her expectantly.

A small smirk formed on Katherine's lips. She could see the jealousy burning green in his eyes and she just couldn't help herself, "Tyler. Her ex-fiancée. They broke up a few weeks before you two cooked the kid. The two of them are still very _close_ friends," she told them, cocking her head to the side as the door opened and Caroline walked in. "Hi Caroline," she smiled.

"Hi Kat," Caroline beamed before seeing Klaus standing there. Her smile only widened when she moved in to give him a kiss. "What are you doing here?"

"How was dinner with Tyler?" he asked, his jaw ticking slightly when he spoke.

"It was fine," Caroline spoke, her jaw furrowing in confusion before she heard Katherine's snicker behind her. She glanced back at her, glaring, before turning her attention back to Klaus. Her arms threaded around his neck, looking up into his all but green eyes. "Tyler is gay. He's living with Elena's little brother," she explained, "but jealousy suits you." She smirked, detangling herself from him. "So really what are you doing here? I thought you had meetings all night."

"I was, meetings all afternoon and no chance to eat. I came to see if you wanted to get dinner, but seeing as how you just ate…"

"I have some leftover Pad Thai upstairs if you are interested," Caroline offered.

"Very." He nodded, following her as she turned to walk up the stairs behind the counter, leaving him up to her apartment. Unlocking the door, she let him in. "So why is it that I've never heard about Tyler, love?" he asked as she walked into the kitchen and retrieved the food from the fridge.

"Well, we haven't exactly had the 'ex' conversation yet," she commented, putting the left overs in a bowl and heating them up correctly.

"There's no time like the present, love," he commented as she handed him the bowl and sat down next to him on the couch with his help.

"There isn't much to tell. I only have one. Tyler. We started dating when I was in high school and stayed together all through college. Senior year he proposed. Well, not proposed so much as took me to a jewelry store and asked me to pick out a ring. We were planning our wedding. It was really simple. I was asking him questions about flowers and centerpieces and he just blurted it out. He was gay and he had been lying to himself for years. That he had feelings for Jeremy and he had been fighting them for years. He moved out. It was hard at first, but he deserves to be happy too. My past isn't all that scandalous. At least he told me instead of cheating. It could have been worse." She shrugged, unzipping her boots and letting them fall to the ground. She had come to terms with what had happened with her and Tyler a long time ago. It wasn't something she liked to dwell on. "What about you? Any crazy ex stories? Anything I should know about?"

"Oh plenty, most of them not worth mentioning," he said, her legs falling over his lap as she began to lean into the couch, trying to get comfortable. He set his arms down on them, his finger tracing patterns on her skin. "I can honestly say I haven't done much dating in my life. One in particular though. Tatia."

Caroline tried not to cringe when she heard the name, but it was inevitable and Klaus took notice, raising an eyebrow. "Rebekah mentioned her to me before. I'm sure I only got the vague version of the story, but it's safe to say I'm not fond of her."

"And what exactly did Rebekah tell you?" he asked, his hands pausing on her leg.

She bit her lip, worried that he would be mad at Rebekah for revealing this information and that was the last thing she wanted. "Just that you had a girlfriend named Tatia, who you cared about a great deal, and she betrayed you by selling storied to the press."

He sighed, letting his head fall forward. "I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that." He pinched the bridge of his nose. He hated talking about Tatia. She wasn't worth it most of the time, but Caroline didn't entirely have all of the facts. "Tatia and I met when I was in college. I knew she was a journalism major, but she always made it clear that she wanted to write for someone reputable, but I suppose the correct amount of money can change anyone. We lost touch when I moved back to the states to be with my family after college, but ran into each other a number of years later and began dating. I thought everything was going well. I was even thinking about asking her to marry me. Closest I've ever come. When the stories began breaking, I figured it was a leak in Mikael's camp. I never even thought about suspecting Tatia.

"My entire family thought better of it. Elijah and Finn were adamant I confront her about it and Rebekah was out for blood when she realized it, but I refused to listen to reason. It was foolish of me now looking back. I finally had no choice, I found proof. She fell asleep on her laptop one night and when I went to close it I saw the emails. I cut ties immediately, got her a hotel room so I could get her out of my apartment that night. It was a nightmare."

"That sounds terrible," she wrinkled her nose as she took a bite of his dinner, "I understand your aversion to extortion now." She brought the bite to her lips.

"It's still no excuse for the way I behaved when you first came to me." He set the food aside, looking down at Caroline.

She shook her head, her hands coming up to cup his face. "We all have bad things in our past. Things we don't like to think about. Things that change the way we behave or react to things. It doesn't have to destroy our future or shape it." She leaned in, pressing her lips against his softly, they let the kiss take over for a moment before letting her hands rest on his shoulder, "For example if you become more interested in Chris Evans than I am, I may become a bit suspicious." She smirked.

He chuckled, "I was always more of an Iron Man fan," he mumbled before pressing his lips to hers once again. His hands slid up her legs slowly, making their way over her sides. He started with her lips, they moved against hers, brushing feather light against them and making no effort to part them. His lips moved smoothly down her jaw, before dropping open mouth kisses on her neck. Her head dipped back against the couch, giving him better access to her neck.

The second his lips touched her skin, Caroline's hormones took over. It had been far too long since her needs were satisfied and the fire ignited from his first touch. Her fingers trailed down his back, slowly gathering the fabric of his shirt in her hands as she inched it up, angling to pull it over his head. Her fingers trailed innocently down his chest as he kissed her, his lips returning to hers. His hands slipped underneath her, lifting her from the couch and walking towards the bedroom.

Once they were in the bedroom, Klaus set her down, rolling the sweater over her shoulders before he laid her back against the bed. Their first time had been so rushed, both in a hurry to get the instant gratification that came with a one night stand, but this was different. This was a time for slow and complete appreciation and adoration. He could tell she felt self-conscious under his stare, but his intent was to push that away. She was beautiful bump included and he was going to make her feel the same way he did about her. He pulled her boots off before his hands slide up her thighs, crawling up her body, careful not to put any weight on her. His hands pushed her dress up slowly, kissing each inch of skin he revealed in his slow path.

Caroline felt her body tense as he ran his hands up her legs, conscious of each and every brush of his lips. She worried about how he would feel when he got her clothes off. It was part of the reason she had put this off for so long, despite her growing need for him. The last time he had seen her, she was tiny. Caroline had never really considered herself beautiful before, but she felt much more comfortable in her skin when she wasn't sharing the space with another human being. His careful attention to each curve of her body made her shiver with anticipation and begin to forget about the concerns that were plaguing her.

As he cleared the crest of her bump, he pushed he pushed the dress over her head, letting it fall to the ground. His hands slid slowly up her sides, "Beautiful," he mumbled as he brushed his lips over her collarbone. His words sent a chill down Caroline's spine, her eyes closing in anticipation of his next move. Slipping his fingers carefully under one of her bra straps, he slipped it down her shoulder. He repeating the action on the other side before reaching behind her and unhooking the offending piece of fabric. Caroline's own fingers crept down his chest finding the button of his pants and beginning to rid him of him. She wanted his skin against hers, desperate for his touch as his thumbs brushed over the overly sensitive, hardened peaks, making her back arch in response.

"Please," she finally managed to work out. The need for him to fill her overpowering any of her senses.

He was never one to refuse such a tempting offer. His hand fell on hers, helping her with his pants and letting them join the rest of their garments on the floor. His hands crawled down her sides and wrapped around her lace panties, pulling them down her hips slowly. He reveled in each shiver and whimper her body gave him as he tugged the lace down her legs. His fingers trailed down her slit, smirking when he realized how ready she was for him. He dropped a kiss to her lips before abruptly changing positions. Her on her side with him right behind her. Her breath caught in her throat as his fingers curled around her blond curls, drawing them off her shoulder so he could kiss her skin.

Caroline was losing herself in the soft touches and light kisses, her eyes closed as her body pressed against his. Completely oblivious to anything but his body and the reactions he was enticing from her. She let out an unexpected whimper when his hand slipped over her hip, carefully guiding himself into her from the angle. Her hand fell on his, their fingers intertwining on her hip as he found a slow rhythm. She matched, her body rocking into his as they moved together in perfect tandem. It wasn't fast, not at all, but instead slow and heady. Enough to make illicit another moan from Caroline. All the while Klaus's lips never left her shoulders and neck, pressing open mouth kisses, biting lightly, and whispering how beautiful she was in her ear.

His grip on her hip tightened, pulling her hips in against his as he felt her breath begin to quicken. He crept along her waist, slipping between her legs and brushing his fingers along the sensitive bundle of nerves. He smirked against her skin as her breath hitched, her fingers curling around his wrist as he teased her, inching her towards the edge until she plummeted over it. Her walls contracted around him, sucking him deeper and making him growl in pleasure. Both of them fell back against the bed, a lazy smile adorning Caroline's lips as Klaus drew the coves up over them both.

"Sleep, love," he mumbled, drawing her close.

**A/N: This is when I issue the biggest apology I can possibly issue. I've updated 4 chapters at once to hopefully get back into your good graces before I tell you all that this story is going on hiatus. I'm having serious trouble writing right now. I don't know if it's school or life in general, but I'm trying to finish it at least. I just don't know how long it's going to take. **


	14. The Luckiest

**Chapter Fourteen – The Luckiest**

_I don't get many things right the first time  
In fact, I am told that a lot  
Now I know all the wrong turns  
The stumbles and falls brought me here_

"Niklaus, it's imperative that we do this before word gets out on it's own. It's better for all parties involved-"

"You mean father," Klaus corrected.

"I mean you and Caroline," Elijah said sternly. He gave Klaus a scornful look for interrupting him as he spoke. Walking around his younger brother's desk and taking the filed from his hands indignantly. "If you are going to make comments, you are going to pay attention."

Klaus sighed, looking up at Elijah, "I just don't see the point in a formal statement to the press. I'm the step-son of an ambassador. I did not knock up a cocaine-addicted hooker. I am dating Caroline. We're together. There is no scandal here. Beside the point, Caroline is nearly seven months along. She's showing in every way possible. We don't make an effort to hide our relationship in public, if the press hasn't jumped on the story yet, I don't see why they would now."

"Because," he sighed, "we have been careful to keep the pieces out of the paper thus far, but with Caroline's due date approaching, it would be better to come out and say it. Otherwise, there_ will_ be a frenzy when your child is born and that's the last thing you want. This is Washington and as I've told you before, our family's habit of making a mess of themselves in public makes us an easy target, why must I constantly reiterate this to you?"

"I'm not sure, Elijah, why do you feel the constant need to remind me of things you've told me a hundred times. I am not Kol. I am aware that Caroline state is delicate-"

"Then you understand why the timing is important," Elijah spoke, his tone ensuring that his brother would not argue with him.

"Alright," Klaus conceded, shaking his head. He took back the folder from Elijah's hands before folding it and placing it in his briefcase along with several other folders from his desk. He snapped it shut before looking up at his older brother once again. "If you feel so strongly about this I won't stop you, but I also won't be inconvenienced to do it. Release your press release, talk to the papers, whatever you need to do, but I have no intention of sitting through any interviews and I will not allow Caroline to be subjected to that kind of stress, nor my child."

"I will see to it that it's handled in a minimally invasive way, Brother," Elijah assured. He was thankful that Klaus was being as close to compliant as he had ever seen him. It was obvious that Caroline's influence over his brother was positive. Klaus would never admit it, but Elijah could see that she was good for him. He turned his attention back to his brother as he watched him pack up his belongings for the evening. He raised an eyebrow. Leaving early was his brother's behavior before Caroline, but lately he had been quite responsible with his work. "It's barely noon, where are you going?" he asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.

"Away for the weekend and before you ask, and I know you will, I've already informed Finn and he's handling our afternoon meetings." Klaus stood from the desk before shoving his hand in his pocket to find his car keys. "Caroline is going home for the weekend. Some kind of small town event she has to attend back home and she suggested that I accompany her and meet her mother." Klaus gave a less than enthusiastic look before shrugging his shoulders, "Unfortunately, she's a better negotiator then I am when she wishes to be. I'm picking her up in an hour."

A small smile broke over Elijah's face. Of course, Caroline was able to convince him to do these sorts of things. Elijah could see that in her from the moment he met her. He thought about commenting, but Klaus's face told him not to or his mood would be affected before he got to Caroline's apartment, "So where is home exactly for Caroline?" he asked.

"Mystic Falls, Virginia. It's not far outside of DC. An hour or two with traffic. Precisely why we're leaving early."

"And what event are you attending?"

"Caroline has been a bit dodgy with the details. Something that has me worried, but I'm certain I will find out when I get there. She told me to bring a suit so that's something," Klaus said before shrugging his shoulders dismissively.

"Speaking of events, will you be back in time for the Ambassador's Fundraising Ball on Sunday? Or are you planning on skipping out on the torture again this year? When was the last time you made it?"

"We will be back in time. Caroline already choose her dress and she's rather excited about it. I don't think I could convince her to stay a few more hours if I tried. And not that I owe you any sort of explanation, but I did not skip out on the Ball last year. I had every intention of going, but I got tied up in the office," Klaus explained simply.

"I will have the press squared away by the time you return from your trip. I'll let you get on your way, Niklaus," Elijah nodded, before heading out of the office. He stopped in the doorway. "And for the record, having sex in your office with what I have no doubt was a perfect stranger does not constitute being tied up at work, even if one of you was in fact tied up. We have security cameras in the office, brother." Elijah shook his head before beginning to exit. "Send Caroline my best," he called over his shoulder before leaving Klaus alone in his office.

| Oh What A Night |

Elena gave Caroline a sideways glance as she forcefully pushed her fists into a back of dough once again. She was angry. Caroline always did this when she was angry or frustrated. She took it out on the dough as if it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. Everyone who worked at the bakery knew that it was Caroline's go to move. Kasey had already asked Elena if everything was okay and she and Damon had exchanged a look or two. Someone needed to talk to her and unless she could convince Kasey to do it, she knew it would have to be her.

It wasn't as though she didn't know what this was about. Caroline had been off since their meeting with the investment company. Elena knew she had been harsher than necessary, but she did also knew that Caroline would be better suited to do it. Caroline knew all the recipes and procedures and despite adamantly fighting against having the ability to do so, Elena knew that Caroline was more than capable of running the business side of things as well. She had practically run the school when they were in high school as well as most of the town events. She could do it, but she could also see how it was a huge. Caroline was having a baby and moving that far away from her family couldn't be an easy decision.

"Caroline, I think we need to talk about things. About this deal," Elena corrected, lingering in the kitchen door.

"Or I can get these croissants in the oven before Klaus gets here and we have to leave for Mystic Falls," she said, beginning to section them off and roll it out individually.

"Or we can do both," Elena suggested, walking over to the blonde.

"Why? Is there another town you want to make me move to? Are you going to wait until I'm nine months pregnant this time?" she said, rolling out the crescents and placing them on the tray, one by one.

"That's not what I'm trying to do," Elena said, sighing in frustration. "Is this something you even want to do?"

Caroline sighed, placing another pastry on the tray before looking over at Elena. She loved her best friend, but she didn't understand. Elena was used to getting her way. Ever since they were children, Elena got whatever she wanted, even if it was at someone else's expense. "I don't know, but I think it goes both ways. You are just as capable of going as I am. I understand it's a big opportunity. I'm not ignoring that and I think we should explore it, but I'm having a baby and I'm in a relationship. I can't just up and move across the country. We need to try and sort this out in a way that we are both happy with and if we can't, maybe now isn't the time to expand."

Elena sighed overdramatically, "This opportunity might be gone later on," she complained. "Besides, Bonnie is in New York, you would have someone," she added as if it would make a difference.

"Do you want to move to New York and do it?" Caroline asked, looking over at her friend. Elena shook her head. "Exactly and right now I don't want to either. I don't know where things are going with Klaus, but I can't move right now. I'm pregnant. Moving is one of the most stressful things that can happen when you are pregnant. I know you are excited, but I can't do this." She stopped to pop the pan in the oven. "And I love Bonnie, but I don't love anyone enough to uproot myself and move across the country right now."

"Fine. We'll just table it for now and try to figure things out later," Elena said. The irritation was still noticeable, but Caroline had to give her credit for at least trying to hide it. Normally she budged, giving Elena what she wanted in the interest of keeping the peace. "I have to go. Budgets call," Elena said hastily, leaving the room and leaving Caroline alone with her pastries. She raised an eyebrow before shaking her head and wiping her hands on her apron before untying it and hanging it on the hook by the door.

"Everything alright?" Klaus asked appearing in the doorway.

Caroline turned around to look at him, setting her hand on her chest. "Yes. Well, I think so. Elena is acting weird, but that's becoming the new normal around here." She shook her head, before checking her hands to see if she had missed any dough. Her manicure was trashed, but she could fix it in the car on the way there. "I just have to get my bag into the car, then I am ready to go." She pointed to the other side of the counter where a small bag was sitting on the stool with a garment bag resting over top of it. "We should probably get a move on it. My mom is expecting us." She picked up the garment bag, but Klaus grabbed the bag before she could pick it up as well, leading her out to the two-door, black Porsche sitting outside the bakery. "Very subtle," she commented as he opened the door for her.

"She needs to be driven once in a while," Klaus said, closing the door once she was safely inside. Caroline shook her head before settling into the passenger's seat. She had hoped her return to the small town would be quiet and unnoticed, but they were going to stick out like a sore thumb now. No doubt cause the town to buzz with gossip and questions about the man in the Porsche who knocked up the Former Prom Queen. She knew there would be questions. It was a small town and her mother was rather private. She doubted that anyone knew aside from her and Bonnie. Everyone was about to.

Less than an hour later, the two of them drove down main street and Caroline had never in her life been more thankful for tinted windows as they turned each head on the block. She sunk further into her seat, fully prepared to feign exhaustion if Klaus asked any questions. In high school, she loved attention, even negative attention, but she knew exactly what this meant now. A flurry of questions tomorrow at Miss Mystic Falls when all she wanted to do was support her town and the girls who would supersede her. Now the whole day would be focused on her pregnancy and whether or not the man in the black Porsche was the father. If they were getting married or trying one of those "modern" relationships.

"You want to tell me what we're going to yet, love?" Klaus asked, pulling her out of her inner thoughts.

She looked over at him, pulling the wayfarers off her eyes and pushing them up into her blonde hair. "It's Founder's Day weekend in Mystic Falls. The town was first founded one hundred and fifty years ago. There's a party, there's a picnic, there's auctions and luncheons, but most importantly, there's the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant. Which is why we're here," she told him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. All thoughts of negative attention abandoned when she realized how amusing it was going to be to see Klaus so far out of his element.

"Let me guess, you are a former title holder?" he teased as he followed the GPS's instructions to the letter, winding down side streets in an attempt to find the sheriff's house.

Caroline nodded, "Two years in a row," she said proudly. "You are only supposed to have a year, your junior year, but after a nasty DUI and a small teen pregnancy ring, April Young, the girl who followed me, as well as the other contestants for the following year were stripped of their titles and they asked me to remain on for a second year, my senior year," she explained before looking up and pointing. "That one, on the left."

He pulled into the driveway, looking up at the three bedroom home and before the brunette and older blonde made their way out of the home upon their arrival. It was the first time he had ever bothered to meet a woman's parents before. Tatia's were dead, or at least that's what she had told him, and no one else had ever gotten this close. As soon as the car stopped, he watched Caroline slide out with a large smile in place.

"I didn't know you were coming, Bonnie!" he heard Caroline cry as she wrapped her arms around the petite brunette.

"You've gotten so big. How long until the baby comes?" Bonnie asked, resting her hands on Caroline's shoulders and looking down at her.

"Three more months and it can't come soon enough," she said, resting her hands on her stomach before turning to her mother who wrapped her in a large hug. "Hi Mom"

I was worried about you two. There was an accident on the 430. You must have just missed it," Liz said, pulling away enough to look up at her.

Caroline shook her head, "Please tell me you weren't listening to the police scanner until we got here again?" she questioned.

"So do you know what you having? I need to know what to buy when I spoil him or her," Bonnie asked, pulling her attention back.

Caroline shook her head, "I wanted to be surprised." She wondered for a moment if Klaus knew. They hadn't exactly discussed it, but she was quite sure that he did not open the envelope she had given him containing the sex of their baby. Maybe he didn't want to know. The surprise was her entire reasoning. She didn't want to put pressure or expectation on her unborn child.

"So do I get to meet him or is he just going to stand next to the car with the bags until it's time to leave?" Bonnie asked, looking past Caroline to where Klaus was standing. "I need to give my approval or disapproval. Not just anyone is good enough to date my best friend. Or is it more than dating now?"

Caroline held her hand up, "Just dating. We aren't rushing into anything," she informed Bonnie before turning to look back at Klaus and motioning for him to come join her.

Once the introductions were out of the way and Bonnie had said goodbye for the evening, Liz led them inside. Caroline couldn't say she was surprised when her mother told Klaus the couch was his for the evening. Even at twenty-five, Caroline couldn't imagine her mother giving her the green light to have a boy in her room. Not that it mattered, she was already pregnant, what else could happen?

"What's that smell? Mom, are you cooking? Did you learn how to cook? Did something happen to the take out drawer?" Caroline asked concerned as she slipped off the cropped jean jacket she had worn for the drive.

"The take out menu drawer is just fine. You've been gone for six years, Caroline. I did learn a thing or two in the meantime. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, if you want to get settled until then," she told her before walking back in kitchen.

"I hope you are ready for your interrogation," Caroline said, beginning up the stairs, assuming that he would follow her. Klaus raised an eyebrow, picking up her bag and following her up. "My mom is a police officer. She is a single parent to an only child, a daughter no less. Not to mention my dad left her so she kind of hates men, all forms. There are a million reasons why she would ask you questions until you crack." She listed off reasons on her fingers as she reached the top of the steps.

"I'm quite certain this will be fine, love."


	15. Hopeless Wanderer

**Chapter Fifteen – Hopeless Wanderer**

_So when your hope's on fire but you know your desire  
Don't hold a glass over the flame  
Don't let your heart grow cold  
I will call you by name, I will share your road  
Hold me fast  
Cause I'm a hopeless wanderer_

Klaus wasn't exactly sure how he found himself in this position. He had spent most of his adolescents avoiding responsibility and to be frank, he was excellent at it. He could get out of anything if he tried hard enough. It was a talent that bode well for him in the ambassador's office. He wasn't lazy, not by a long shot, but he made no apologizes for making sure that Finn was responsible for the tasks that he didn't care to do. None of that explained how he has allowed Caroline to talk him into this. Sitting at a small kitchen table, under a light that felt a lot like the ones used in the interrogation rooms of the terrible cop shows on TV. He sat back in his seat, under the heated glare of Liz Forbes. It wasn't fear that filled him, he couldn't quite explain it, but there was a certain obligation to make Caroline's mother like him

"So what is it that you do, Klaus?" Liz asked and though Klaus heard the words crisply, they sounded a lot more like a threat than the words she had actually used.

"By trade I'm a lawyer-"

"I've never been fond of lawyers," Liz cut in.

"Mom," Caroline hissed between her teeth, her fork falling to her plate with a loud clack.

"But," Klaus interrupted boldly, "I manage the office of the British Ambassador with my brothers. Elijah takes care of the public image and Finn and I take care of the financial and the day to day," he went on to explain, wondering if there was another comment waiting in the wings for him.

"What about family? I know Rebekah already, of course," Liz spoke fondly. Caroline fought the urge to roll her eyes. She loved Rebekah too, but her mother's blind love for her had always been a bit confusing. Stefan was like another child to her, he has spent enough time over her house enough over the years for her to adopt him as her own. After Stefan and Rebekah became engaged, Liz had confessed to her that she had always hoped that Caroline and Stefan would end up together, but once that pipe dream ended, she quickly began to like Rebekah. Caroline had cringed at the thought of her and Stefan as anything more than friends, siblings even.

Klaus's answer seemed to abruptly end her thoughts. "Aside from Rebekah, I have four brothers. Two older, two younger. Parents are married, not particularly close to either of them."

"I can't blame you there," Liz said before receiving a look from Caroline.

"Mom," Caroline said once again before pinching the bridge of her nose. She wasn't going to survive this dinner. Her hand moved to rest on top of the bump, watching the dinner unfold. She knew Klaus was aware of what had happened at the dinner, but what Mikael had tried to do the following day was still her secret. She didn't want to do anything that would make his relationship with his step-father worse.

"I was just stating a fact, Caroline," Liz corrected.

Klaus only smirked in response, leaning back in his chair and continuing to eat his dinner. Caroline ran her hand over her face before returning to her own.

"So what happens when the baby comes? Any plans for how you are going to work that out between the two of you?" Liz asked, setting her glass down and steepling her fingers together in front of her on the table.

"We haven't really gotten that far yet, Mom. We have months to figure that out still. There's no rush, I'm not due until September," Caroline pointed out.

"Caroline, you were ten weeks early. That baby can come any time now. These are things that you need to figure out sooner rather than later," Liz said, causing Caroline's eyes to widen slightly. Klaus choked on his drink.

"So it can come any time now? Is that what you are saying?" he asked.

"It's not likely, but it's possible. Babies come early all of the time," Liz explained. "Another reason that you should be prepared now. Then you won't have any surprises. You have to get the nursery set up, Caroline can't be around the fumes. The furniture, clothes. You'll need to figure out where the baby is going when you two are at work." Liz picked up her fork and set it on her plate before beginning to clear the table. "I have to work the night shift so I can get off tomorrow night to go to the Pageant. I'll see you tomorrow at the event, Sweetie." She leaned over to kiss a still speechless Caroline on the head, giving Klaus a nod before walking out the door.

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, enveloped in all of the new concerns neither of them had yet considered. Caroline knew they still had a lot to do before the baby got there, but she had always assumed they had time. Her mother had made it painfully obvious that the child could come any time and she could tell by the slightly less than cool expression on Klaus's face, she had done the same to him. She had barely adjusted to the idea of being pregnant, the fact that she was actually going to cap off this pregnancy with a baby had somehow not sunk in yet. She brought her water to her lips before taking a sip. The deep breath that followed felt anything but natural.

"Are you alright, love?" Klaus asked, her stunned expression turned towards him, unchanging.

She nodded slowly, "Do you need a drink? Because I do and I can't, so I think at least one of us should have that drink," she said, her words coming out almost panicked.

"I think that's in order," he said, helping her up from her chair. She walked over to the liquor cabinet and felt the top until she found the key her mother kept hidden there. Once she had unlocked it, Klaus took over, taking out a glass and pouring himself a glass of scotch, the strongest thing he could find. Caroline eased herself back into the couch before Klaus took the seat next to her.

"So any time now? The baby could come any time now," Caroline said, her voice still as shaky as ever.

"That is what she said," Klaus said, before tilting head back and swallowing the glass whole.

"We can do this, right?" Caroline asked, turning towards Klaus.

He looked at her face and the panic was so clearly etched over her features. She looked terrified and he didn't quite know what to say to her. "Caroline, you are going to be a wonderful mother. Just take a breath and relax."

Caroline took a breath and nodded. "I need to make a list when we get back to DC. All of the things I need to do before the baby comes. Get the nursery and the furniture ready," Caroline began her breath beginning to quicken the more she thought about it.

"Caroline, Sweetheart, you need to calm down," he told her, standing up and walking behind the couch and setting his hands on her shoulders. He moved his hands against them in a perfect pattern, calming and soothing, as soothing as he could be anyway. She continued to ramble for a moment to no one in particular, listing off all of the things she thought she needed to do the moment they arrived in DC, but eventually she was able to calm down. She leaned back into his touch, her head slumping forward so he could do his work. "It's nearly nine thirty. Why don't you go lay down?"

Caroline nodded, holding his hand as he helped her stand up, "Come with me?" she asked, almost hesitantly. "We'll be up before my mom gets back from work, not that it matters, I'm twenty-five years old." She shook her head, running a hand through her blond curls, "I just don't want to sleep alone."

"Of course," he said, leading her up the stairs.

The next morning Caroline made sure that the two of them were up long before they needed to be, but Caroline wasn't taking any chances. Liz Forbes was not one to be messed with, even though she had not lived with her mother in a number of years. Admittedly, Caroline had been looking forward to this since they asked her to return. When she had lived nearby, she had organized the event, but this time she was simply returning as a guest.

"So what exactly does a former title holder have to do at these events?" Klaus asked, zipping up the back of her dress as they stood on Caroline's old bedroom.

"Mingle, dance, introduce the next winner," Caroline explained, adjusting her dress into place over her bump before sitting down on the edge of the bed to place on her heels. She moved them into place too before beginning to fuss over her hair. "Or in my case, everyone will fuss over the baby bump and ask who the father is, am I getting married, what I'm having, what I plan on doing after I have it. Sometimes small towns are kind of crappy," she said, making a face as she ran her fingers through her freshly straightened blond hair and attempting to re-straighten a piece she could see a kink in.

"So this is going to be quite the event for you?" he asked, straightening his tie as he sat in the chair in the corner of her room. He had resigned himself to it so she could finish getting ready without him in the way.

"That might be an understatement. It's just going to be a spectacle. People are nosy. They will asked a lot of questions. You are going to be like fresh meat. The suit, the accent, they are going to be all over you." She smiled, glancing back at him before putting the mascara wand to her lashes and making sure that they both looked perfect. "I think I'm ready," she said, brushing the imaginary dust from the front of her dress.

"Lead the way."

Just as Caroline had anticipated, the entire town had some out for the event, pouring into the front doors of the Lockwood mansion and filling the halls and the backyard. She held tight to Klaus's arm as they walked up the steps and through the front door, giving a polite nod to Mrs. Lockwood as they walked by.

"Caroline, we weren't sure you'd make it, after, you know," Carol made a motion from the Caroline's bump before waving her hand nonchalantly. "Either way, we're glad to see you. And who's this?" Carol asked, looking Klaus up and down. Caroline raised an eyebrow, trying to hide a small chuckle that threatened to fall from her lips.

"This is.." she paused realizing she didn't quite know how to finish that sentence. Boyfriend sounded strange when talking about Klaus and she wasn't even sure if that was the correct word. Baby daddy, friend? They all sounded wrong.

"Klaus. Klaus Mikaelson," he introduced himself before extending his hand to her. He didn't add anything else to his introduction, but the way his arm wrapped around her, bringing her closer, his free hand resting on top of hers on the bump below her dress, said it all.

"Oh," she said, watching exactly where his hands were sitting and getting the point, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Mikaelson. Caroline, good to see you again. I hope you two have a lovely time in there," she said with a level of forced kindness Caroline had not seen since the moment Tyler told her that he and Caroline were getting married. She had never particularly been fond of Caroline. She liked her better than any of Tyler's other girlfriends, but there was still a hint of resentment lingering in the air because no one would ever be good enough for Tyler. She had to wonder what Carol thought when Tyler brought Jeremy home.

"So was that the worst of it?" Klaus asked, leaning down to whisper in Caroline's ear as they walked inside.

Caroline let out a little chuckle, holding his arm tightly. "Not even close. That was Carol Lockwood. Tyler's mother. She hated me. Well, she liked me until I started dating Tyler, then she formed this blind hatred. Apparently now that I am away from him and otherwise occupied, we are back to a very strained level of civility," she told him, picking up a glass of water from one of the tables and nodding towards the champagne for Klaus. "She's nosy, but overall she's not that bad. No one around here will say anything to you. It will either be to me or they will question my mother about us later. For now, they will just stare," she said, nodding to a group of woman that Caroline knew were all Daughters of the Revolution members. She waved and smirked to herself as they all tried to pretend that they weren't staring at them. "You just get used to it."

"I can see that," he said, bringing the flute to his lips. He gingerly took a sip before setting it down on a nearby table. "If they are staring, let's at least give them something to talk about," he said, slowly dragging his fingertips down her arm until he caught her hand. He pulled her close to him, pressing his lips to hers gently.

Caroline froze in place, unsure of what to do. Part of her wanted to push him away, she could practically hear the people around her whispering, but she couldn't bring herself to separate from him. Her lips melted against his, his arms wrapping loosely around her waist to steady her as they swayed gently. She barely noticed as he shifted them over to the nearly empty dance floor. She smirked as he began to pull away, her finger's lacing behind his neck. "That ought to do it," she mumbled incoherently.

He smirked in response, continuing to sway with her on the dance floor.

"I'm glad you are enjoying my embarrassment," she said, a slight blush forming over her cheeks.

"You seemed to be enjoying it too," he quipped back. She couldn't deny that it was true. She had most definitely enjoyed every moment of the kiss, but doing it in front of the entire town was not part of it. Though she was thankful that now there would be no more questions about whether or not she was with the father of her child. He had been the perfect date thus far. "So when do your hosting duties begin?" he asked, his hands sliding down to her waist as they moved to the music.

"Soon. The girls are lining up. We'll need to get off the dance floor so they can do their dance, then someone will tell me who won and I will tell everyone else." She slid her hands down his shoulders as they pulled away from each other and made their way over to one of the tables.

"Hey! You made it," Bonnie said, making her way over to the two of them.

"We came all this way, it would have been a waste not to," Caroline spoke, looking up at her best friend. "No matter how far away we move, this town always seems to keep dragging us back into these events. We'll never be able to escape them," Caroline said fondly.

"Speaking of moving," Bonnie said, taking the seat on the opposite side of Caroline, "Have you given anymore thought to New York? The way Elena talks about it, you are going to be on the next plane, but something tells me she's being a bit overzealous."

Caroline squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She could practically feel Klaus's stare burning into the back of her head.

"What's this about New York?" he asked, looking over at her.

"It's nothing. Elena and I got an offer to franchise the bakery, starting with a store in New York. Elena wants to take it and she wants me to move, but I've already told her I can't do it. It's just too much with the baby and you and I and I just can't do it right now. I love DC. I love being so close to my family. I just can't move," she told him, setting her hand on his reassuringly. She looked back at Bonnie, "Sorry Bon, but I promise I will visit as soon as the baby is born and can fly."

"Sounds perfect, Care," Bonnie said before looking up. "I think they need you." She nodded towards Mrs. Lockwood standing up at the top of the steps in front of all of the girls.

"Oh crap," she said, quickly getting up from her seat. "I'll be back." She walked over, leaving Bonnie and Klaus alone at the table.

"Don't hurt her," Bonnie said quietly a few moments after Caroline began speaking. Klaus turned to look back at her, his eyebrow raising as he tried to figure out what had prompted this threat. "Don't hurt her," she repeated, slightly more firm.

"I have no intention of hurting her. My family has already done enough in that regard, I have no intention of making that worse."

"Trust me, I'm well aware of what your family has done to her," Bonnie added, her arms crossing over her chest. "I also know what you've done to her. She might have forgiven you, I'll respect that. You make her happy and you two are having a child together. All I've ever wanted for her was happiness. Don't take that away from her. "

"We're on the same page in regards to Caroline's happiness, Bonnie," Klaus said, looking her in the eye.

"That's all I needed to hear."

**A/N: I just wanted to take a minute to apologize for the time in between updates and thank you guys for hanging in here with me and continuing to read. I appreciate it. My frustration with TVD has definitely bled into my drive to write this story or fanfiction in general, but I am trying to finish it, it just might take a bit longer than I originally anticipated. I've had it mapped out for a while so I'm hoping that I can see this through. My new Tumblr URL is Caroline-winchester so feel free to follow for updates.**


	16. Small Bump

**Chapter Sixteen – Small Bump**

_You're just a small bump unborn  
and in four months you're brought to life.  
Might be left with my hair  
but you'll have your mother's eyes_

"You know you don't have to do this, love," Klaus told her once more. Truthfully, he was fishing for a reason to get out of this. Caroline not wanting to go would be the perfect excuse for him to ditch the event he didn't want to attend in the first place. He stood in front of the mirror in Caroline's small apartment, checking to make sure his bowtie was straight.

"I'm alright," Caroline assured him for what must have been the hundredth time. She was nervous about going, but Elijah had personally asked them to attend and she didn't want to let him down. She wasn't sure at which point in the day Klaus had stopped reassuring her about this evening and she had started reassuring him. As much as he was trying to get out of it, she was just as uncertain. She had a bad feeling about the evening and though Caroline never counted herself as someone who was superstitious, she wondered if this time she ought to listen to her gut. The mere notion of being in the same room with Esther and Mikael for hours, no matter how many people would stand in between them, chilled her to the bone. Subjecting herself, and her child, to a night of social scrutiny wasn't her idea of a rousing evening, but she had already agreed. She was already into zipped into a fitted purple gown and the teenage girl inside her was screaming at her for even thinking about taking it off before she was seen in it. Her hands rested on the rather sizable bump she was now sporting under her dress as she looked over at him, "You know _you_ don't have to do this, right?" she asked, reposing his question.

"Unfortunately, I do. It's part of my job," he said, moving away from the mirror. "You look beautiful, by the way." His lips brushed over her bare shoulder as he passed behind her.

"You are a tease. You are not going to use my hormones as an excuse to get out of going to this thing," she told him, turning around and looking over at him, "but nice try. I hope you intend to make good on that when we get home."

_Home_. The word struck Klaus as a bit odd, but he couldn't disagree with her. Her usage of it implied that they shared a home, but he knew that wasn't the case. Sure they spent most nights together these days, but they still had their own space. He lost himself for a moment thinking about it. What if would mean to come home and have her be there already. What it would be like to see her in the living room with their child leaned against her chest as soon as he walked in the door. He couldn't say he hated the idea, but he quickly shook it away as the phone on the nightstand chirped and brought his attention back to the here and now.

Caroline walked over and scooped it up, pressing a few buttons before slipping it in her clutch for the evening. "The limo is downstairs," she told him. She took a deep breath before stepping into the silver heels waiting for her at the end of the bed. They were shorter than she was used to, but her balance was not what it once was, nor did she need to try brave it. She took his arm as they headed towards the exit of the apartment.

"So who did you fix Elijah up with for this event? He mentioned something about you finding him a date because he didn't have time," Klaus questioned, holding her arm carefully as they made their way down the staircase towards the bakery.

"I found the perfect date for him," she told him. "Katherine is waiting in the car." She was actually rather proud of herself for this particular match up. Elijah was always to rigid, he needed someone to loosen him up and Katherine could use some stability. It wasn't exactly something Trevor had to offer her. Klaus eyed her suspiciously when she mentioned Katherine's name, but she didn't say a word. He would just have to wait and see how it played out.

The driver opened the door for them and Klaus helped Caroline inside before slipping in himself. Just as she had said, Katherine and Elijah were already seated inside, having been picked up first.

"You look lovely this evening, Caroline," Elijah said once the door was closed and they were on their way.

"Thank you," Caroline said softly, her hands settling in her lap. She had a million things running through her head, concerns and worries about that evening. "So what...exactly is going to happen when we get there?"

"Well," Elijah began, "There's going to be a press line outside. A simple one. Nothing like those dreadful ones you've seen on TV. This is Washington, people are at least a bit more respectful here than they are in Hollywood, or at least they pretend to be to stay in the good graces of those who decide whether or not they get scoops. Since I spent the morning leaking this to the press, there might be a question or two about it, but truly it's a non-story. It's a baby with relatively no scandal. After that you'll proceed through the security checkpoint inside and it's just a simple party. Klaus has a few obligations to fulfill inside as far as hellos and small talk, but after that you are free to do as you please. Even duck out early if you'd like."

"And thank God for that," Klaus spoke, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulders as they sat in the traffic leading up to the Ambassador's mansion.

"So it's just going to be simple then?" Caroline asked, the anxieties she had pushed aside earlier in the day beginning to rise once again. Nerves were something she was used to, but public appearances were not. She was a business owner, a pastry chef, a sometimes bartender, but the girlfriend of an ambassador's son? A public figure? These were not things she was ready for. Not under any uncertain terms and she felt strange even considering it.

"It'll be simple. Don't worry, Caroline," Elijah reassured before turning his attention to the driver and asking how much longer. Soon after that, he and Katherine lost themselves in conversation from the other side of the limo. Leaving Caroline and her worries to brew in the back. She could feel her body tensing, the concerns causing the baby to become more active. Kicking from within her. The baby kicked often. Caroline had worried for a while that it was a source of stress. That the baby's movements increased when she was causing it grief or pain, but she realized afterwards that it was quite the opposite. The baby's movements were a comfort. When she was worried or anxious or stressed, the tiny kicks and summersaults reminded her that it was really in there. That is was okay and she needed to relax because no matter what happened, she still had the baby.

Klaus's arm wrapped around her shoulders tighter, bringing her in closer as his lips pressed against her ear. "We won't stay long, love. Bare minimum," he assured her as the limo came to a stop outside the mansion.

Caroline nodded, painting on a smile. She took a deep breath as the limo door opened. Katherine and Elijah slid out first, quickly followed by Klaus. He turned, extending his hand to her and carefully helping her out of the car. His arm wrapped securely around her waist as they made it through the first security check point with little more than a few pictures. Admittedly, Caroline was expecting something about of a Julia Roberts movie and she wasn't sure why. Elijah was right. This was Washington not the back exit of a club in West Hollywood. She was a baker, not a celebrity. Caroline and Klaus posed for the official photographers as they made their way inside and past the second security check point.

"Terrible wasn't it?" Klaus asked as they found the table they were assigned to, thankfully far away from the Ambassador's table.

"Not as bad as I was expecting actually," she said as she eased into the chair behind her name tag. "How many of these a year are you roped into going to?"

"Less than Esther would prefer, but more than Mikael would allow if he didn't wish to look bad in the press. It's a game of political chess to him. He could shun me as much as he wanted before the news broke that I wasn't biologically his, but now that it's out, he has to play nice in the press. If he doesn't, word breaks that he's not all his public image suggests and he wouldn't want that. His image matters more than any of his children, more than his pride, more than his hatred of me." He took his own seat next to her, looking around the room to see if he could spot any of his siblings.

"It's terrible," Caroline said, her eyes landing on the man she had grown to loathe across the room. Her jaw ticked when she saw him. The memory of him trying to buy her off still fresh in her mind when she saw him. She shook it away, trying to let go of the thought as she looked over at Klaus, the smile returning to her lips. "Good thing we can avoid him."

"Precisely."

"So what's next?" she asked, picking up the water glass sitting in front of her and bringing it to her lips.

"Well, as Elijah pointed out earlier, I have to speak to a few people. It's only hellos, a bit of small talk to ease some business tension. Then a dinner, then we can go and I can make good on all of those promises I made you earlier." His lips quirked up in a devilish smirk as he thought about the way his hands were going to make their way over her body later on that evening. "Shall we?" he asked, beginning to stand up and offer her his hand.

"I think I'm going to stay here for a minute, just get my bearings. I'll come find you."

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just need to sit for a minute. The heels were a bad choice, I probably would have been better served choosing comfort over fashion under the circumstances."

Klaus nodded before stepping away from her, making his way over to side of the room Elijah was currently chatting up. Caroline leaned back in the chair, pressing a hand against her lower back as she tried to ease the dull ache that seemed to be constant. She surveyed the room, looking around for anyone she might know. It wasn't exactly her social circle, but between the bakery's clientele and Klaus's extensive family, she knew quite a few people in DC.

"I'm sorry, are you Caroline Forbes?" Someone asked, pulling Caroline out of her people watching haze. She turned to see a man dressed in a tuxedo standing in front of her with a smile.

She gave a small nod, "Yes, do I know you?" she asked, her eyes squinting just a bit as she tried to place the face.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I was at Rebekah and Stefan's wedding. Your cake was spectacular," he said.

"Oh," Caroline said, her face softening a bit, "Well thank you, are you a friend of the Mikaelson's?" she asked, taking another sip of her water.

"You could say that," he agreed. "This place is quite the event isn't it? Your first right?"

"Yeah, it's a little more than I'm used to." Her hands rested on her bump. "I'm not quite sure I'm ready for all of this, but I'm getting there."

"It takes some time to adjust to the fame."

"I wouldn't exactly call it fame," Caroline disagreed, looking around the room once again to see if she could spot Klaus. She found him talking to a few men also clad in tuxedoes, standing next to Elijah. It was important, she knew that much. "It's more like being known, I guess. It's certainly increased business in the bakery."

"So you would say getting pregnant was a good business move for you?" he asked, the smile on his face loosening.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, her posture stiffening, brows knitted together as she tried to figure out what he was trying to do.

"Sorry, bad humored joke." He waved his hand dismissively before taking his relaxed position once again. "What do you say to the rumors that you did this all on purpose?"

"I say they're crazy," Caroline told him, beginning to look around for anyone she knew who could come save her from this conversation without seeming rude. She didn't want to ruin Klaus's business dinner and make a scene, but she also didn't want to continue this conversation. "I'm sorry what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't actually. Atticus Shane, now there is a source who says he can prove you just did this all for the money, do you have any comment on that?" he asked, reaching into his pocket for a tape recorder. "It's pretty remarkable the way you've infiltrated their lives. Impressive really. Do you have any comment, Caroline?" he asked once again more forcefully.

Caroline could feel the panic rising in her as she listened to his question. "I think you should leave now," she said, beginning to stand up.

"I think you should answer the question, Ms. Forbes," he countered, his tone becoming more aggressive.

"Caroline! There you are. I've been looking all-" Rebekah stopped in her tracks when she saw the man standing in front of Caroline. "What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Rebekah demanded before looking around for a moment and motioning over two large men in black suits. "Have him removed and I would like to know who let him in in the first place," she informed the two men who Caroline had gathered were security guards.

"The story is breaking tomorrow, Caroline. Whether you like it or not. Might as well get your word in," Atticus said before being dragged off by security.

Caroline's breath fell unevenly as her hand ran over her face. She didn't know what to do, the world felt like it was spinning. She stumbled into the chair just as a pain accompanied the panic running through her veins.

"Bloody reporters. He's been obsessed with my family since the Tatia incident. He broke the story, writes for a terrible rag called the Fishbowl," Rebekah ranted with disgust before turning her attention back to Caroline, "Are you alright? What did he say to you?"

"He just..." Caroline trailed off as the dizziness began to settle in and over her. "There's going to be a story tomorrow," she mumbled, her hand gripping the edge of the table for stability.

"Caroline, what's wrong?" Rebekah asked once again, moving closer to her this time.

"He just ambushed me and I don't know. I just..." Caroline trailed off as her body began to slump. Rebekah rushed forward to hold her up as her eyes closed.

"We need an ambulance," Rebekah demanded from the nearest person to her. The display had garnered quite a bit of attention including that of the rest of the Mikaelson's. Klaus, Elijah, Stefan, and Katherine were making their way over, moving quicker once they saw Rebekah and Caroline slumped over against her.

"What happened?" Klaus demanded, his arms slipping underneath Caroline to support her as he lifted her up from the chair.

"Atticus Shane," Rebekah all but hissed.

"The ambulance is out front," the woman who Rebekah had directed her demand towards told them. Klaus didn't have time to react to the information Rebekah had given him. He immediately headed in the direction of the front of the house, gathering Caroline securely in his arms as he made his way through the crowd.

"We'll follow you," Elijah told Klaus as he climbed into the back of the ambulance Caroline was loaded into. He nodded once before they closed the door behind him and headed towards Sibley Memorial Hospital. It was a helpless feeling that took him over as he watched them wire her up, checking vitals, trying to get her to respond to anything.

After nearly getting himself kicked out of the hospital for arguing with the doctor's about following Caroline back into the exam room, Klaus was resigned to one of the waiting rooms, sinking into a chair. He ran his hands over his face, wondering what was happening on the other side of the wall. He leaned his elbows on his knees as he waited to hear anything about her or his child.

It was ironic really. The story of Klaus's life. He had spent so much time during this pregnancy wishing it wasn't happening. Wishing that Caroline was wrong, that the baby belonged to someone else. Wishing his way out of it. Even after he had come to terms with the fact that it was happening, he still questioned whether this was a good idea or not. Whether he would be good at this. Whether Caroline would be better served to go elsewhere and raise the baby without him, but here he sat, facing all of those things. He was staring their mortality down and he had quickly found that losing them was the fear he hadn't known he had.

"How is she?" Elijah asked as he made his way through the door. Rebekah, Stefan, and Katherine were hot on his tail.

Klaus looked up slowly, "I don't know."


	17. Only Teardrops

**Chapter Seventeen - Only Teardrops **

_So come and face me now  
Here on this stage tonight  
Let's leave the past behind us  
How many times can we win and lose?  
How many times can we break the rules between us?  
Only teardrops_

He wasn't sure how long he sat there. It felt like an eternity, but he was sure not more than an hour passed. The others chatted, wondering what was happening as Elijah and Stefan tried to gather information about Caroline's condition, but Klaus just sat. Frozen.

"Anything?" Rebekah asked as the two of them returned to the small group gathered in the waiting room. She looked at him hopefully, but Elijah's tight-lipped expression said all she needed to know.

"They usually cannot divulge medical details to someone who is not a relative," Elijah said, pressing ignore on the ringing cell phone in his pocket once more. He was ready to drop it into the fish tank they were seated across from. Everyone wanted a comment from the ambassador on what had occurred at the benefit and as the public liaison it was Elijah's job, but currently he had nothing to share.

"She's still on this floor, which means they haven't moved her to the L&D floor or the ICU. That's a good sign," Stefan said, attempting to interject some optimism into the group. He refused to believe that Caroline was anything less than fine. She was his best friend and he couldn't think like that. As terrible as he was feeling about being in the dark, he knew that Klaus was probably feeling worse.

"Can't they tell Nik something? He's the child's father?"

"They aren't married. It's against hospital policy."

"The bloody press core is already talking about it. Just lovely," Rebekah said, nodding towards the television bolted to the ceiling in the corner of the waiting room. Stefan's thumb brushed across the top of her hand, trying to calm her down, but even he knew it was a useless gesture. Rebekah always calmed down on her own time, not anyone else's.

"What happened?" Elijah asked, looking over at his younger sister. He knew he was going to have to feed the press something at some point and the more facts he had, the less he would have to backpedal later to clean this mess up. This was the last thing he had envisioned when he began leaking news of the couple's pregnancy to the press. He had not expected a backlash. Not of any kind. Certainly not one that landed Caroline in the hospital, condition unknown.

"That reporter happened," Rebekah said. "Shane. Whatever his name is. I don't know how he got through security. He was most certainly not on the list and a press badge should not have been enough to get him past the check points and into the door. I don't know what he asked her or accused her of, but he was questioning her when I walked up and she seemed very upset. He said something about a story breaking tomorrow so Caroline might as well comment on it as he was being dragged away. Such a spazzy thing that one, I've never liked him, nor his creepy obsession with our family. I'd like to be the one to take a bat to his head if it comes down to it." She forced a smile on her lips before it fell as she looked over at her other brother. She was certain he hadn't moved since they arrived nearly a half hour ago. Sitting in an uncomfortable looking position of contemplation. Silence. "Nik, are you…do you…" she paused, not quite knowing what he needed right now. Be it silence, a distraction, or a simple cup of coffee.

Before she could finish her train of thought, the double doors swung open again and the nurse who had initially admitted Caroline into the exam room walked through and began to look around. Klaus stood up immediately, prompting the others to follow suit as she made her way over to the group. "Caroline and the baby are fine. She's just getting dressed and filling out some paperwork, then she'll be out. What happened earlier was a fainting spell, most likely brought on my stress or hyperventilation. Either of which can cause a spike in blood pressure that the body reacts to. She'll be okay, but her stress levels need to be monitored closely, as well as her blood pressure. These types of episodes can be the early signs of preeclampsia and several other conditions."

"They're alright?" he questioned, trying to wrap his head around everything he had just been told.

"I'm fine," Caroline said, as the doors slid open once again. She was sitting in a wheel chair, dressed in a pair of pink scrubs that barely fit around her bump. The purple silk and chiffon of her dress pooled in her lap, a sad pile of what used to be a beautiful dress before an emergency room visit, as the orderly pushed her to the group. "Can I get up now or am I still sentenced to the chair?" she asked the orderly before beginning to push herself up.

"Why don't you just take it easy?" Elijah suggested.

"You can get up, but you do need to take it easy. Relax for the next few days. Stay in bed as much as possible. No work. No stress," the nurse told them.

"Are you truly feeling alright, love?" Klaus asked, looking down at her.

"I promise, we're fine. I just want to go home," she reassured him, taking his hands as he lifted her from the chair so she could stand up.

"Well, I need to issue a statement to the press, I will leave you two be," Elijah said, offering his arm to Katherine before making his way out the door. Rebekah and Stefan quickly dismissed themselves as well, but not before Stefan made sure Caroline was okay.

Klaus ushered Caroline into the town car waiting outside, making sure she was comfortable before climbing out. Knowing she was okay and with him allowed his worries about her to subside, but they were quickly replaced with a blind rage for the reporter that brought on this scare. It wasn't the first time he had dealt with Atticus Shane. He had been the one to break the story about Klaus's true paternity. He'd been the one to put Tatia up to dating him in the first place. Klaus desperately wanted to know exactly what the man had said to Caroline, but he couldn't ask her now. He needed to give her time to relax. The last thing he needed to do was upset her again. It could and would have to wait until later.

As the car came to a stop, Klaus caught his first glance at the clock. It was nearly midnight, the bakery had long closed, leaving the entire store front dark as Caroline fished for the keys so they could head inside and get some much needed rest. After fumbling with the keys for a moment, Caroline managed to push the door open. They barely made it two steps inside before Caroline froze, looking straight forward.

"Caroline, are you-" Klaus stopped mid-sentence as he saw what had given Caroline pause. Elena and Damon were both standing behind the bar, both very scantily-clad, and both struggling to get back into as much clothing as possible. Elena grabbled at Damon's shirt, getting it over her head before awkwardly looking at Caroline.

"So," she said, the look on her face completely stunned, "How was the benefit?" she asked, trying to deflect the conversation away from herself and Damon.

"We made it five minutes before I passed out and spent the rest of the night at the hospital," Caroline said, holding her hand up before either of them could question it, "I'm fine. Just exhausted. I'm going to go upstairs and get some sleep. We will talk about this. Whatever this is," she made a motion with her hands, "tomorrow." They both fell silent as Caroline moved to walk up the stairs.

| Oh What a Night |

"Aren't you supposed to be on bed rest? It's six in the morning," Elena asked as she walked into the bakery's kitchen. The stainless steel kitchen was coated in a thin layer of flour, dirty pans spanning the length of the countertop.

"Aren't you supposed to be single?" Caroline fired back without looking up from the pan of chocolate au du pains she was putting together. She was still in her pajamas, a pair of pants that rested just under her bump and a t-shirt, her apron haphazardly pulled over her head and loosely tied around her non-existent waist. Her hair was tugged back in a ponytail, hints of flour weaved through the golden locks not to mention on her cheeks. The whole look made Elena wonder how long Caroline had been at this.

"Okay, I suppose I deserved that," Elena said, taking a step closer and leaning against an empty counter top.

"I don't understand why you wouldn't just tell me. It's not a big deal. It's Damon. It's not like I hate him. This explains so much. Why you two have been sneaking around. I mean seriously, neither of you are very covert and I will get you back for all those days where one of you called in and left me short staffed, so not okay," Caroline said, shoving a pan into the oven before starting on the next set. She was halfway through rolling another pastry before she stopped mid roll and looked up at Elena, "Is this why you've been pushing so hard for me to move to New York? So you can stay with Damon?" Elena couldn't even look up at her. "That's what I thought," Caroline sighed before turning her attention back to the pastry.

"I just thought it would be a better fit for you. When you are so unsure about everything having to do with Klaus and the baby, I wanted you to have another option," Elena said, bluntly.

"I don't need another option. I like here, I'm close to my mom and it's home. Klaus is here and the baby is going to grow up here with the both of us because that's what I want. Moving to New York isn't even on my radar." Caroline set aside the second pan. "Now, please keep your voice down. The last thing I need is for Klaus to wake up."

"Why does it matter?" Elena asked. She wasn't quite ready to drop the subject, but Caroline had moved along so quickly she let it go.

"Because Klaus is still sleeping upstairs and if he wakes up and realizes I'm not in bed he'll make me go back to bed," Caroline explained as though it made perfect sense. She picked up a piping bag and began to fill it with the frosting she had retrieved from the standing mixer. "He had a long night too. He needs his rest."

"So do you," Elena pointed out, worried about her friend.

"And I will. As soon as these cookies are frosted for Mrs. Edison's order and the cake comes out of the oven and the pastries are done and in the front window. It's Monday. We open in an hour."

"Which is exactly why I'm up. So I can open," Elena informed her, pushing away from the counter.

Caroline eyed her hesitantly for a moment. There was no way she was handing her kitchen over to Elena. She loved her dearly, but this was her domain and she knew good and well that Elena had nearly burned down the building trying to make ramen noodles less than a year ago. "See, I know you like numbers, so we're in the black, I'd like to stay there and if I start letting you make the food, we won't be," Caroline said sharply, before turning her attention back to the cookies. "So how long have you and Damon been…? And what exactly is it? Are you dating or are you just violating health codes together?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

"We're together, but we've been trying to keep it quiet," Elena explained.

"Your choice or his?" Caroline raised an eyebrow, glancing up from her cookies for a moment. She didn't want to think that Damon was keeping her a secret, but Elena quickly dispelled her worries.

"Actually, mine. You know how Damon is, I wasn't sure how things would work out. I didn't want everyone to know and then have us break up. I didn't want things to be awkward for everyone who works here. It's been four months and while I didn't want you to find out this way, it's probably time we told you anyway."

"You are right about that. You are lucky my child isn't born yet. It'd be forever scarred by the image of Uncle Damon's naked ass standing next to the bar," she said, wrinkling her nose as she frosted the last cookie.

"I'm sorry to have traumatized you," Elena laughed, taking the tray from in front of Caroline and placing the cookies one by one into one of their boxes.

"Oh, that's alright, I'll take your retribution in the form of a new pair of Loutboutin's to wear after I have this baby." She rest her hand on her stomach, the other pressed against her lower back as she rested, giving herself a moment before she started on her next task.

"I was under the impression that bed rest meant in a bed, not a kitchen," Klaus spoke as he walked into the room. His hair was pointing in every which direction, matted from sleep, tuxedo pants hanging on his hips.

"I'm going to go back to bed. I just needed to finish a few things," Caroline said, trying not to jump to the defense.

"Elena can finish up whatever this is." He made a nonchalant hand gesture around the kitchen, but Caroline immediately shook her head, disputing his claim. He opened his mouth to say something, but the door jingled and Kasey, who was also slated to open walked in the door.

"Perfect!" Caroline declared. "Kasey, the Edison's order is filled, there's pastries in the oven, and the cake for the Palermo's birthday party is in the oven. Elena is helping you today so you'll be on baking duty. I need to go lay down," Caroline said before turning to head up the stairs, Klaus hot on her tails.

| Oh What A Night |

"Would you stop looking at me like I'm going to break the moment you walk out the door?" Caroline asked from her place on her couch. Her hands were resting on the sizable bump under her tank top as she leaned back against the armrest. "I'm on bedrest, I'm not dying."

"Well, with you, it tends to be a life or death event. Your version of bedrest includes working and cooking and trying to solve world hunger. It's quite different from the one that myself and the doctors have." He tugged his suit jacket over his shoulders before buttoning the two buttons.

"I'm fine. I promise. This is my last day of bedrest. I will stay here on the couch so you don't have to worry," Caroline assured him. "I have an entire season of Gossip Girl, Elena is downstairs along with a variety of baked goods. Aside from peeing ever five minutes because your child is using my bladder as a squeeze toy, I have no reason to get off this couch."

"I'm taking your word for it. I'll be back in a few hours. Finn is blowing this entire situation out of proportion, if I don't go down to the office, he may have a stroke before I get there." He leaned down to kiss her.

"Take your time. I'll be fine. Bring Chinese food," she told him before sending him out of the apartment.

Klaus wasn't thrilled about leaving her on bed rest, especially since she wasn't fond of the resting part, but after six voicemails and ten text messages, he knew there was no getting out of going into the office. He made his way down to the Embassy, strolling past security and into the wing that housed his office. Finn motioned for him to come into his office, the phone still pressed to his ear. He growled a few things at whoever he was speaking to before hanging up the phone. Klaus couldn't remember the last time he had seen his brother so angry.

"What was so important that I had to leave Caroline while she's on bed rest?" Klaus asked, being more dramatic than necessary. He wasn't thrilled about being dragged down here, the least he could do was make him feel bad.

"I don't have time for pleasantries, Niklaus. Ten million dollars has been transferred from the general account for the embassy and I cannot for the life of me figure out where it is. If we don't find it the entire staff including father and us can be charged with a multitude of crimes."

"Are we certain Mikael didn't commit a crime or two and needed to pay off the victims." Klaus asked, an amused smile crossing his lips as he sat down across from Finn and began to thumb through the paperwork strewn across the desk.

"This is not a time for jokes." He didn't bother to look up from the desk, a mad sense of urgency crossing his face as he looked over it all.

"Ten million dollars doesn't simply disappear, Finn. Why don't you sit before you have a coronary? Have you called Elijah?"

"No. I don't want to deal with that look of subdued guilt that crosses his face every time something doesn't go his way."

Klaus only smirked at the comment, enjoying the rare moments when his brother spoke out of turn. "Have you looked at the check ledger yet? Perhaps Mikael truly was paying off the victims of his crimes."

Finn took a moment to glare at Klaus before opening the ledger book and taking a look at the carbons of the checks left behind. "You were right. He is paying someone off." Finn looked up at Klaus as he turned the book to show Klaus the carbon from the most recently written check. "Caroline."

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**A/N: Hi guys, I just wanted to make sure I didn't leave you on a cliffhanger the entire time I am on vacation. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story and are sticking with it as we continue on to the birth of Klaus and Caroline's child. If anyone has any name ideas, both for a girl or a boy, feel free to leave them in the review section. Until next time!**


	18. It is What it is

**Chapter Eighteen – It Is What It Is**

_Too long we're been denying  
Now we're both tired of trying  
We hit a wall and we can't get over it  
Nothing to relive  
Water under the bridge  
You said it, I get it  
I guess it is what it is _

Klaus stared at the book in disbelief for what seemed like hours. That couldn't be Caroline's name. It couldn't be his step-father's signature. A lot of things were impossible, but he was staring at proof, right there in his hands. Caroline wouldn't do this. Not _his_ Caroline. It was impossible for him to wrap his head around. The betrayal ran deeper than anything he could imagine and the moral implications. No matter what she had done, she was still carrying his child. There was no way around that. There was no way around any of this. He has put himself in a lot of awful situations over the years, but this had to be one of the worst. What he couldn't figure out was why? What had Mikael paid her to do? Get pregnant? Get him to fall in love with her? It felt like he had been hit with a freight train. It was the first time he admitted he loved her and it was in the wake of her betrayal. The book dropped from his hands and he ran his hands over his face.

"I think-" he paused. He didn't know what he thought. It was the first time in his life, he didn't have a quick witted remark or a sarcastic comment to add. He had nothing. "I think I need some air."

"For what it's worth," Finn began. Klaus could see the hesitation written all over his face. The two of them had never been close. Finn had grown up spending most of his time with his father and on occasion Elijah. He stayed far away from his younger siblings. Whatever he was about to say was making him profoundly uncomfortable and Klaus's jaw ticked as he waited, "For what it's worth, though the rest of us may have seen it coming, I'm sorry that this happened. Father was probably trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" Klaus roared. "You know, that man you call father has never given a damn about me. This wasn't done out of protection. This was a well hidden dagger he planned to drive through my heart one day. It's time you saw him for what he is, Finn." He stormed out of the office before Finn could formulate a response. Wandering around the block until he found the thing he didn't know he was looking for, a liquor store. He had plenty in his apartment, but it was all expensive. Alcohol to be enjoyed, savored, and that wasn't what he needed right now. He needed cheap and terrible. Sometime to numb whatever he was feeling. He found his way back to his office, locking the door before he collapsed into his desk chair and uncapped the bottle. He took long swills, not bothering with decorum or the knocks on the door.

He wasn't sure how long he sat staring at his phone, trying to decide what to do. Long enough to break the glass paperweights that sat on his desk. Long enough to drink half the bottle of cheap whiskey. Long enough to start and stop dialing five times, but not long enough to dull the gaping wound he felt. He had to do something. Part of him wanted to break her as badly as she had broken him. To hurt her the way she had hurt him, but he found he couldn't do it. Not with her. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't need a long drawn out battle. He needed an end as quickly and as painlessly as possible. It only took a minute to realize how easily this could be done.

He took a deep breath before picking up the phone and dialing Caroline's number. There was no easy way to do this. No wan he could make things quick and simple. She was going to fight him and he wasn't going to care or at least he was going to try not to. He knew if he did it in person they'd both break down and he didn't want to hear excuses or lies. He couldn't deal with it. He wouldn't subject himself to that.

Two rings until she picked up, "I thought you said a few hours? You've been gone for almost an entire day. When you come home, I fully expect you to be baring all kinds of Chinese food," Caroline spoke light-heartedly into the phone. Klaus closed his eyes tightly, his jaw locking as he listened to her cheerful voice. All he could hear was her betrayal in every syllable she spoke.

"Caroline," he spoke, his tone harsh, trying to garner her attention away from what he was sure would have been a lengthy description of whatever inane TV show she was watching to pass the time. "Caroline, I think we've let this charade go on long enough."

"What are you talking about?" Caroline asked, he heard a slight groan, indicating that she has just pushed herself up.

"This song and dance about us and this baby. We both know this isn't going anyway. You are fooling yourself." The strain was evident in his voice though he did his best to hide it. Caroline's obvious panic did enough to keep her from hearing it or maybe she didn't want to hear. He couldn't know for sure. "This isn't going to last and we both know it. I'm not father or husband material. We've both been the children of fathers who didn't want us. I won't impose that on another child."

"Klaus, what are you saying?" she asked, her jaw clenched as she tried to wrap her head around what she was hearing. He didn't want her, he didn't want _them_. She knew what he was trying to say, but she still needed to hear the words in order to confirm what she was hearing. She needed him to make himself crystal clear if he was going to leave them.

"I don't want your child to grow up constantly trying to gain approval that I'm never going to give it. I don't want to have to pretend I want it or it isn't a huge inconvenience to my life. I don't want a baby. I don't want the responsibility or to be tied down. I don't want someone who fell into bed with me the first night I met her. I don't want any of this."

"Where is this coming from?" she demanded the tears welling up in her eyes as she tried to keep her voice strong. That too was a lie. She knew exactly where it was coming from. She had had to talk and coax him into every moment of this pregnancy.

"I'm just sick of pretending," he said, before clicking the phone down on the receiver and picking up the bottle once again.

Caroline sat frozen on the couch. Everything in the last eight months had been a lie. It was so simple for her to believe, but it made her feel so stupid at the same time. Of course he didn't want this, he had made his intentions perfectly clear at the beginning of this pregnancy. He was just pretending with her. Doing what he was supposed to do. What Elijah probably told him he had to. He never wanted her or this baby. He just wanted a quick lay and that's exactly what she gave him.

"Hey, Elena told me to bring this up to you and make sure you're alive," Damon said, walking into the apartment with a plate of spaghetti. "I made it so it's not going to kill you like Elena's would," he continued to ramble on before Caroline looked up at him. Eyes red and puffy as the tears ran down her cheeks, "What happened? Was Gossip Girl not who you thought it would be?"

Caroline looked up at him, unable to come up with a sharp remark to shoot back to him. She just bit her lip, willing herself not to start crying harder. She didn't need to sob. She needed to figure out how to pick herself back up again. She needed to be strong for her baby.

"What's wrong, Blondie?" Damon asked, noticing her lack of reaction.

As much as she tried to stay whole, the moment she opened her mouth she began to crumble. "He left Damon. He just called and said he doesn't want to pretend anymore. This isn't what he wants. We were never what he wanted. He just wanted to sleep with me. This baby and everything that happened afterwards was just an accident. And it's an accident he doesn't want to deal with anymore." Her voice came out in broken statements. She stopped brothering to wipe away the tears, letting them fall as freely as they wished. There was no reason to stop them.

"Wait he called?" Damon asked. He sighed before setting down the spaghetti plate and walking over to the couch.

"He just called and said that it wasn't going to work and we both know it. He just ended it, without a second thought." She leaned into him, not sure whatever else to do.

Damon stiffened for a moment, before loosening up and wrapping his arms around her. He let her cry into his chest, his fingers toying with her locks, trying to comfort her. It wasn't exactly his specialty. It never had been, but for some reason he always seemed to be the one doing it. "Do you…do you want me to call anyone?" he asked.

"Elena or Stefan," she said, quietly without moving from her position. "I just don't understand what I did? Everything was fine," she said, trying to wipe away the tears.

Damon took a deep breath, taking her by the shoulders. "You didn't do anything. Guys like that, like Klaus, have had the world handed to them. They just do what they want when they want. You didn't do anything. He's just an idiot. If it was my kid, nothing could keep me from it. I would do whatever I could to make sure that it and it's mother was taken care of. You have Elena and I, Stefan and Bex, your mom, you are going to be just fine and so is this baby, okay?" he said, looking her in the eye.

Caroline just nodded, trying to hold herself together. He was right. She was going to do this on her own before, there was no reason she couldn't now. She didn't need him, she didn't need his money. She and the baby would be just fine. When Damon let go of her shoulders, he pulled out his phone. "Stefan is in surgery according to the hospital, but Elena is on her way up. I need to get back to the bar." He excused himself, passing Elena on the stairs as she stormed into the apartment.

"I'm going to kill him. I never trusted him, not for a minute. I can't believe he waited until now to do this. You just got out of the hospital for stress and now he breaks up with you. I'm going to kill him," Elena repeated. "I'm calling Bonnie."

"No," Caroline said, looking up at her. "Bonnie is probably at work. You don't need to get her all riled up. She will get on a plane and come here and that's the last thing she needs to do."

Elena looked down right murderous before looking down at Caroline. She took a seat down on the couch next to her. "How are you? Are you okay? How are you feeling? I know you aren't supposed to get stressed but this probably tossed all of that out the window, huh?"

"I'm not great," Caroline said honestly, pulling her hair into a ponytail. "I mean the baby is okay, I'm not in any pain at least." She leaned into the corner of the couch, taking a deep breath. "I just don't understand. I understand why he doesn't want me. That's a choice. It's not the first time someone broke up with me. I'm a big girl, I can handle it, but the baby? It's his baby. He wanted it. We made plans and he was hesitant at first, but he just seemed so content with it all. He wanted to be a family, at least that's what he said. It just changed on a turn of a dime."

"He's an idiot. He doesn't know what he's missing. This baby is Caroline Forbes's son or daughter, which means it's going to be amazing." Elena smiled, pulling Caroline into a tight hug. "Everything is going to be okay. You are going to fine. Klaus is going to realize what he's missing and it'll be too late. He's the one who's going to suffer. You are going to move on and find someone who appreciates you and who wants you and this baby. I never trusted him anyway."

"I just don't want the baby to feel like he or she did something wrong or made him not want it. He can walk away. I won't stop him, I don't want anything from him." She shook her head, her eyes focused on the bump and her hands on top of it. This baby deserved so much better than them. So much better than this life it was being born into, with a father that didn't want him or her and a mother who didn't know what she was doing.

"It won't," she assured her. "He or she has everything it needs in a mom. It'll be okay."

Caroline nodded, "You are right." Caroline wiped away the remainder of her tears. "We're going to be fine. The baby will be okay and I'm just going to pull it together and move on. I don't have a choice."

"You will be perfect at this and you have all the help in the world," Elena assured her. "Do you want me to stay here with you tonight?"

"Please?"

"Of course. Just let me go down and tell Damon and Kasey. We can call Katherine in. Then you and I can watch some movies and slumber party, just like we used to."

| Oh What A Night |

He wasn't sure how he found his way back to the apartment. Klaus was too drunk to get the keys properly in the keyhole. It took a few tries before he finally stumbled into the dimly lit room. Finn had put him in a cab a little after nine and sent him home, but he hadn't even made it into the building. Instead, he wandered into the bar next to his building and stayed until closing, not caring what would be reported to the gossip magazines or the websites. When the bar finally closed, he found himself at home, trying to break into his own liquor cabinet.

He tried for a while before giving up and settling to the floor. Klaus leaned into the wall and tried to gather the whereabouts to get himself to bed, not that he thought he'd sleep much. It was there from the floor he spotted it. The little envelope that rested on his countertop. He had almost forgotten it was there.

Having drown any sense of self-preservation in copious amounts of cheap whiskey, he pulled it off the counter and slide his finger under the seal. It was stupid. He didn't need to know the gender of a child he had no intention of meeting. He just couldn't help himself. A mile wide streak of masochism. As much as he wanted to hate Caroline, turn her back on her, he still felt a pang in his chest when he saw that little piece of paper that simply read 'boy'. He let his head fall to his hands for merely a moment before returning to the liquor cabinet and proceeding to break the lock.

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**A/N: Alright, guys, I hate to say it, but it's the beginning of the end. There are only a few chapters left and I very much hope that you guys have enjoyed this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Including this chapter, there are four chapters left. **


	19. Life's a Song

**Chapter Nineteen – Life's a Song**

_Oh, tell me what good is saying that you're free  
In a dark and storming sea  
You're chained to your history, you're surely sinking fast_

"Are we sure he's even alive in there?" Rebekah asked, smoothing out her dress as she and Elijah stood in the elevator on the way up to Klaus's apartment.

"Rebekah.." Elijah attempted to stop her as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't want to think about the implications of his brother not making contact for days. Especially not with Rebekah's cynical approach. He knew it was her defense mechanism. She didn't want to think about what could have happened to her older brother and making crude accusations was the easiest way around it.

"I mean, the neighbors would have complained about the smell in there if he was dead right? Finn said he hasn't been in the office in a week. I don't know why we wouldn't have heard from him if something hadn't happened to him," Rebekah rambled on, fiddling with her clutch. She was nervous admittedly. This didn't sound like her brother, at least not the man her brother had become in the last few years.

"Rebekah, please. He could very well have been with Caroline all this time. We don't know anything yet. Caroline did have a health scare a few days ago. He might have stayed with her and neglected to tell Finn he wasn't coming in. It wouldn't be the first time." He stepped out of the elevator and made his way over to Klaus's door. His hand curling, he rapped his knuckles against the door. "Niklaus," he called out, waiting a few moments for an answer, "Klaus, are you in there?" He turned to his younger sister, "I don't believe he's here, Rebekah."

"Oh, step aside," Rebekah said, rolling her eyes as she rummaged through the tiny bag for her keys.

"If you have a key, why didn't you speak up earlier?" Elijah asked, looking over at her.

"They are for emergencies. I made a copy when Nik wasn't paying attention. He doesn't know I have it, but this seems like an emergency. If you are right, then he'll never know we were here," she said before triumphantly pulling her keys from the bag and unlocked the door. "Nik, come out, come out wherever you are," Rebekah called out as she made her way into the apartment.

"Go away," Klaus mumbled from behind his bottle on the couch, or the floor next to the couch to be more specific. He had slipped off the couch nearly an hour before hand and not bothered to get up. What was the point? There was no difference between drinking on the flood and drinking on the chair. The apartment was in varying states of chaos. There were take-out containers scattered across the countertops and the coffee table along with empty bottles of different alcohol bottles. The whole place looked like the aftermath of a frat party and Rebekah couldn't help but cringe at the sight.

"Good, you are alive so I can kill you for not responding to any of my phone calls, emails, or text messages. You scared me half to death. I was half anticipating you rotting corpse to be sitting here to greet us," Rebekah said, side stepping an empty Chinese container next to the door. "Where is the maid? Did she run away from this mess screaming because I can't say that I blame her?"

"I fired her last time she came in," he told her. "I can't fire you, but I would appreciate if you both left. I'm not exactly in the mood to entertain." He didn't bother to look over at them, only focused on the half bottle of Tanqueray in his hand.

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" Rebekah asked.

"You mean Finn didn't fill you in? I'm surprised he wasn't thrilled to spread the world that he was right about Caroline. As were Mikael and Esther and my initial judgment of her," Klaus rambled on.

"Niklaus, what are you saying? You aren't making sense." A cross look appeared on Elijah's face as he tried to understand what he was saying.

He set the bottle down much harder than necessary. "It means Mikael paid Caroline ten million dollars to do God only knows what. Finn found a discrepancy in the accounts and began to look into it," Klaus paused to bring the bottle to his lips. "We found a check receipt in the book for a check to Caroline. I would like to know what ten million dollars bought our father."

"What?" Rebekah shrieked, causing both of her brothers, especially the inebriated one, cringe at the sound.

"There may be some other explanation. It may not be quite so cut and dry," Elijah spoke. "Have you spoken to Caroline about any of this? Perhaps she could offer you some kind of explanation and set all of this aside."

"This is ridiculous. She's obviously a gold digger. I wouldn't have thought that Stefan would associate with someone like that," Rebekah spat, the venom filling her words.

"Rebekah, we don't know that," Elijah said, trying to calm his sister down.

"To hell we don't," Rebekah said, moving towards the door.

"Where are you going, Bekah?" Elijah asked, his brows knitting together in concern.

"I'm going to talk to my husband. Like you said, perhaps he can shed some light on this if there's more to it than what appears," she said, adjusting the bag on her shoulder before making her way out the door and out of the building.

"Well, there goes the neighborhood," Klaus replied drunkenly after managing to crawl back onto the couch without spilling a drop from his bottle.

Elijah took the bottle from his hand with much protest. "I'm sending over a service to clean this place up. I want you to sober up. I'm going to head into the office and I'm going to figure this out before you throw your entire future away over a misunderstanding."

"Too late, Elijah. I've already broken things off. Caroline has her child and her money. She doesn't need me. The money is already gone from the bank account, Elijah. There's no misunderstanding," Klaus corrected, his eyes never leaving the bottle in Elijah's hand.

"We shall see about that," Elijah said before he too made his way out of his brother's apartment.

| Oh What A Night |

"You are really considering this now, aren't you?" Elena asked as she and Caroline stood in the bakery kitchen. Caroline was busy piping frosting onto cupcakes while Elena placed them in the carriers, prepping them to be delivered.

"I'm not just considering it. I've decided. We always agreed that franchising was a good idea. The problem was neither of us wanted to leave DC. That isn't an issue anymore," Caroline said, holding the piping bag in one hand as she stood as close to the counter as her bump would allow.

"I just don't like the idea of him running you out of town. It's not fair," Elena said.

"Weren't you the one who wanted me to go in the first place?" Caroline asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked over at her.

"That was before. I don't want you to leave just because of him," Elena clarified. Caroline's words had been accompanied by a pang of guilt. "It was never right for me to do it in the first place."

"Stop," Caroline said, frosting the last cookie. "It's not because of him. He contributed, but I really do think it's the best move. It's a break. It's a new start. I think that's exactly what I need. Me and the baby. It deserves that much and so do I. It's a great opportunity and New York seems like the best place I could possibly restart my life. Besides, Bonnie is there. I won't be completely alone. It's a good place for us to be I think. I just have a good feeling about it." And she did. It was exactly what she needed. New place. New job. New start. It was scary in a way, changes always were, but it was also incredibly exciting, liberating. It was a lot of changes all at once, but she needed to get out of this rut. "I already looked at a few apartments online and Bonnie said I can stay with her while I'm getting settled. I called the investor already and he's setting things up. I can be involved in everything from the way the shop is laid out to the way it's advertised. It's the perfect opportunity for us."

"I know, I'm just going to miss you and the bump," she said, closing up the box.

"There's Skype and face time and visits. Don't worry. Aunt Elena will never be too far from the bump." Caroline smiled softly, pulling Elena into a tight hug. "We just need to get on hiring you some help. I leave in a week," she said quickly.

"A WEEK?! You aren't even staying until the baby is born?" Elena asked, a confused expression on her face. "That can't be safe. Can you even fly right now? Moving is stressful. You aren't supposed to be stressed out."

"I know it's fast, but they said it's for the best if I get up there as soon as possible. Stefan is going to drive up with me and then fly back. That way I'm not on the road alone. I'll even have a doctor with me. It's better this way. Then the baby is born near his or her new home. It won't have to go on a lengthy trip right after it's born," Caroline tried to explain. "The baby isn't due for another month. That gives me a few weeks to find a place and get everything together. The investment company is going to hire a company to get the place set up so I don't have the added stress. They are really being quite accommodating."

"It sounds like you have this all figured out."

"I do. It's the right decision for all of us."

"Where is she?!" Caroline and Elena both looked up at each other as they heard the shriek from the other side of the wall in the café section of the bakery.

| Oh What A Night |

Rebekah didn't waste time ditching her original plans and making her way over to the bakery. She needed to know once and for all. She needed to know. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around any of this. Caroline was not the type, but when her brother was threatened, she could only see red. By the time she made her way into the bakery, all hope for an amicable conversation were lost. "Where is she, Damon?" Rebekah asked her jaw clenched as she walked towards the bar where Damon was busily setting things up for the night rush.

"What are you talking about, Blondie?" he asked, without looking up from the beers he was stocking in the under counter fridge.

"Where is she?!" Rebekah shrieked, garnering Damon's full attention.

"Alright, why don't you calm-"

"No, I will not calm down. Until you tell me where Caroline is," Rebekah demanded as Caroline and Elena exited the kitchen both looking wary of the situation. Rebekah turned her attention Caroline, her jaw setting. "You." She pointed walking towards Caroline. "How dare you?"

"Rebekah, you are going to have to clarify what you are screaming about," Elena stated, standing in front of Caroline as Rebekah came closer.

"What exactly did you think you were going to do, Caroline? Take my father's money then live happily ever after with my brother's as well? I mean honestly, you did a piss pour job of covering your trails, Finn and Klaus found the check receipt the moment they opened the ledger book. What exactly did Mikael pay you for? Was is sleeping with Nik? Was it to break his heart? My father is a cruel and heartless man, I can't possibly imagine what he could have asked you to do."

"What are you talking about, Rebekah?" Caroline asked over Elena's shoulder.

"The bloody check, Caroline! Finn found the bloody check for ten million dollars. Written to you," Rebekah crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sure you have a good excuse for that. Care to explain. I'd love to hear it."

"That's why he left," Caroline breathed out, the shocked look on her face. She took a step back, taking a seat in one of the stools.

"Of course that's why he left! Are you stark, raving mad? Why would he stay knowing that your involvement in his life has something to do with his step-father? It wouldn't be the first time," Rebekah exploded.

"He didn't even ask me to explain," Caroline spoke again, still in her daze.

"Then by all means, explain."

Elena stood in front of Caroline, confused, her attention focused solely on the pregnant blonde in front of her, making sure she was okay. She looked from Rebekah to Caroline, not entirely sure what to say. She needed Rebekah to calm down to Caroline would, but Caroline wasn't exactly being forthcoming with details.

"She ripped it up," Damon finally spoke up, stepping around the bar. "Your father came in and offered her ten million dollars to walk away from your brother. To take the baby and never speak to him again. No goodbye, no explanation. He just wanted her to leave and she told him no and ripped up the check."

"What?" Rebekah asked.

"Whatever you thought you knew, you don't. Your father tried to buy her out, do the exact same thing that you think she did and she said no."

"Damon.." Elena started.

"No, Rebekah needs to understand this."

"No, Damon, Caroline's water just broke."

Rebekah's hand moved over her move to shield the gasp that escaped her lips. "Oh god. I didn't- I mean."

"Not now," Elena said, wrapping her arm around Caroline and walking her out to the car. Despite Caroline's radio silence, Elena managed to get her into the passenger's seat, not even bothering to wait for Damon before she pulled away from the small shop and headed towards the hospital. "Are you okay? I mean obviously you are in labor you can't be fine. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't know. I don't even think I knew. I was just trying to figure things out, then all of the sudden I felt something and then this happened. I've been having back problems all day. I thought I was just sore. I'm always sore," she said, her hands resting on her bump as she sat in the passenger's seat. "Elena, it's too early."

"Babies come a month early all the time. It's going to be okay," Elena said, putting her cell phone down as the traffic light turned green. "Okay, I text Stefan and your mom. I'm sure they are both on their way. You have nothing to worry about. I'm going to be with you and so will they. Everything is going to be just fine. You and the baby are going to be just fine."

| Oh What A Night |

"He's perfect, Caroline. He really is," Elena said, looking down at the little blue bundle in her arms before handing him over to Stefan.

"You were lucky. There's a lot of problems with preemies, you seemed to avoid them. Probably the steroids they put you on the first time you went into labor," Stefan noted, sitting down on the edge of Caroline's hospital bed. "He's perfect. Does he have a name yet?"

"I'm not entirely decided, but I'm thinking Jack. He seems like a Jack to me," Caroline said, looking down at her son. "He really is perfect. Jack Forbes has quite the life ahead of him. He's going to be out of DC before he can even think about the mess that happened before he was born." She sighed, shaking her head. She didn't even need to ask if Klaus had shown up. She knew the answer. He didn't want to be there and she didn't want him there. There were a million different things running through her head, but Klaus was still at the top of her list. No matter how much she wished she could stop thinking about him. "So how soon can we get out of here, Doc?" Caroline asked, looking up at Stefan hopefully.

"He's early and a little underweight so I think you might be here for another few days, but he's healthy. You should be just fine. I could be selfish and keep you in the hospital until he turns eighteen," Stefan teased her.

"You know I don't want to leave you guys. I just have to do what's best for him and that's not being anywhere near here. The politics and the scrutiny. No one needs to know who his father is. He just needs to get away and to be normal. That's all I want for him and moving to New York earns him that right. If he drops off the map now, no one will come looking for him. It's the best thing I can do for him. It's not like Klaus is going to fight me on it. He doesn't want to be here." It was a sad reality, one she never wanted her son to know. Her son was never going to be anything but welcome and wanted and she would be sure of that.

"I need to check on something, but I will be back to check on you later," Stefan said, shifting Jack into Caroline's arms. He kissed her forehead before hastily walking out of the room. It only took him a moment to dial his brother in laws number, pressing the phone to his ear. He wasn't surprised to reach the voice mail to Klaus's phone. No one had heard from him in days. Still he pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood in the hallway outside the doctor's lounge. "You have a son. Just thought someone should tell you to stop being an idiot and come see him before you lose them both forever."

**a/n: Hey guys. So I had some reviews from people worried that my lack of interest in The Vampire Diaries has changed the course of the story. I can assure you it hasn't. I've had this story mapped out in it's entirety since December. This has always been the plan. I'm sorry if you don't like the direction it's headed (or ended up because it's almost over.)**


	20. New York

**Chapter Twenty – New York**

_The lone neon nights and the ache of the ocean  
And the fire that was starting to spark  
I miss is all, from the love to the lightning  
And the lack of it snaps me in two_

"You ready to leave for your new house, Jack?" Caroline asked, looking down at the six week old in the baby the carrier against her chest. She had put off the move a little longer than she anticipated, giving herself more time to get packed and time for her to transition in the new baker replacing her in DC. The baby needed time to adjust, sleep through the night. As terrifying as it had been going into labor early, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Everything fell into place this way and Caroline was more than ready to restart her life in New York.

"Are you sure you have to leave?" Elena whined as she walked into the now empty apartment Caroline had been living in since they'd finished college. She walked over to the two of them and gingerly ran her hand over the top of Jack's head. "I mean, I just got a nephew and now you are taking him away."

"I'm sure Jeremy and Tyler will have a baby at some point, Elena," Caroline said with a smile as she took one last look around, making sure that she hadn't forgotten anything. The only thing left in the tiny one bedroom apartment was a Tory Burch baby bag resting on the counter. "I don't mean to take him away from you. You can always come visit us in New York. I'm sure that Aunt Bonnie wouldn't mind sharing her duties with you for a few days." She smiled, resting the bag on her shoulder as one hand remained on the front of the carrier.

"I will take you up on that," Elena said with a smile, "The moving company already finished loading all of the boxes into the truck and left. Stefan is waiting downstairs, but I don't think he'll mind if you change your mind and decide to stay longer."

"If I stay any longer, I'm never going to make it out the door," she said, giving Elena a small smile as they walked towards the stairs and into the bakery. Katherine, Stefan, and Damon were all seated at the bar waiting for them to come down the stairs.

"You ready to go, Care?" Stefan asked as they each slid off the bar stools.

"I think it's time. Especially if we want to get there before moving company puts everything in the wrong spot," she said as Katherine walked over and wrapped her arms around both Caroline and the baby.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do and try not to have too much fun in New York without me. Don't forget that I did everything there was to do before you did," she chuckled, pulling away from her.

"I will do my best not to let the Katherine Gilbert stamp rub off of anything you touched," Caroline said, as she wrapped her arms around Damon. Her hand rested on his shoulder moving up to kiss his cheek. "You take care of her alright?" she spoke to him.

"Don't get all sappy on me now, Blondie," he said returning the hug and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she laughed before looking over at Elena who was already beginning to tear up a little. "You are not allowed to cry. If you cry, I'm going to cry and I'm not going to cry." She shook her head as Elena wrapped her arms around her, pressing a kiss to Jack's head before pulling her close.

"That's not part of the deal."

"I have to go and you will be okay. We have Skype and phones and face time and visits. It'll be just fine," Caroline said, pulling away.

"You better send me pictures of him, every day. I won't settle for less."

"Deal."

"Alright, let's get on the road," Stefan wrapped his arm around Caroline as they walked out the front door with Damon.

"Hold him while I unhook this thing," Caroline said, pulling Jack out of the baby carrier and setting him in Stefan's arms so she could unhook the straps.

"Hell, Caroline, that thing has more straps than a sex swing," Damon said, unclipping the side of it for her.

She turned and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "I don't want to know how you know that." She folded it over her arm before leaning in the back seat of Stefan's SUV to buckle the little boy into the car seat. She looked back at Damon one more time. "I'm serious, Damon. Take care of her. She's going to be stressed out the next few weeks. She's going to try to pretend she's fine and I won't be here to make her talk about it. That's your job now," she lectured him.

"I've got it, Blondie. Just get in the car before Stefan starts honking,"

"I'm going. I'm going," she told him, looking in the back of the car to check on Jack one more time before slipping into the passenger's seat. She buckled her seatbelt as they pulled away from the shop for one last time. It was bittersweet. She was starting a new life, one free of the stress she had been forced to endure through this pregnancy, but leaving everything behind was difficult. She had said goodbye to her mother the day before and that had been hard enough, but leaving Elena and Stefan would be even worse.

"So how are you and Rebekah?" she asked, trying to distract herself from thoughts of saying goodbye later today. She was worried about the two of them. Rebekah's performance in the bakery the day Jack was born had been dramatic and uncalled for, but Caroline hated the idea that she might be the source of any contention in her best friend's marriage, even if Rebekah had been in the wrong. She hadn't heard much about Rebekah since the baby was born and she was a bit scared of what that meant.

Stefan sighed, shaking his head as he adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. "We'll be okay. It's just a rough patch. We're working it out. I understand her need to protect her brother, but we're married. She needs to talk to me about things. If she had just mentioned it before taking any of this up with you, I would have been able to set her straight. She put you and Jack in danger, it's not something I can just forget about overnight. We'll move past it though."

"Just don't stay mad at her over me, okay? I'm okay. Jack is perfect. He probably could have stayed in a little longer but he's 100% healthy and I'm fine. He was already trying to come early. It's twisted, but in a way she meant well," she said, glancing back into the second row where Jack was contently staring up at his carrier toys.

"I'll keep that in mind," Stefan said with a smile. He admired that about Caroline. She could always find the silver lining in things, point out the good instead of the bad. She was usually the only one who could cheer him up when he was brooding. Even in the face of all that had happened lately, she was still looking at the positives and perfectly willing to let go of Rebekah's part in her scare.

"Have you heard from…?"

"No," Stefan answered quickly. He knew exactly who she was talking about and aside from his phone call the night Jack was born, Stefan hadn't heard from Klaus and even then he doubted voicemail counted. Klaus had made his decision. He could see the disappointment written all over her face. He wasn't sure if it was for herself or her son, but something told her it was a bit of both regardless of what she said. "Don't worry about it, Care. Jack has all he needs."

Caroline nodded, looking out the car window as they drove through the Baltimore suburbs. She tried not to think about it. To push past everything that had been said, to let go of the idea of Klaus and the family they could have had. If she was ever going to be happy, she needed to let him go. It had been almost two months. It was time to start looking forward, but she couldn't shake the disappointment. "Do you think he's going to regret this?" she asked, not bothering to peel her eyes away from the window as she watched the water pass by.

"I think he'd be an idiot not to. It's been a month and a half. If he's not already kicking himself for screwing this up, he doesn't deserve to have any part of Jack's life. I don't know if he's asked Rebekah or Elijah for pictures, but he hasn't seen him in person. I don't like that you are moving so far away from me, but I think moving Jack away from DC is the best thing you could have done for him."

"I know, you're right," she agreed. "So are you going to make me wait until New York for food or can we stop in Philly. I know I'm not pregnant anymore, but I swear I'm still having cravings," she asked, more than happy to change the subject.

"It's actually not uncommon for the cravings to continue for a few months after pregnancy while your hormone levels balance back to what they were before you had the baby. It takes time to get back to normal," he explained.

| Oh What A Night |

Three hours and two stops later, Stefan pulled up in front of the Bay Ridge brownstone that Caroline and Jack would be sharing with Bonnie. Bonnie already lived in the top apartment of the two apartment building and the moment her downstairs neighbors moved out she began hinting at Caroline moving in. It made sense. She wanted to be close to Jack and she'd certainly need help with him once they started with the bakery, which thankfully was just around the corner. Caroline would probably still need a nanny, but being close certainly helped.

Caroline climbed out of the car, watching as the movers moved her couch through the doorway as she began to unbuckle Jack from the backseat of the car. He'd been so quiet on the ride, only crying once, she and Stefan had nearly forgotten he was back there. She strapped him into the carrier against her chest as she mentally prepared herself to instruct the movers where they would need to move everything because as much as she loved Bonnie, there was no way everything was going to be arranged the way she wanted it to be. A tired smile graced her lips as she saw Bonnie walk down the steps of the brownstone towards the three of them. "Jack, look, it's Aunt Bonnie," she said, making the little boy in his arms wave at her as she walked closer.

"I was wondering when you three were going to make it." She hugged Stefan, pecking his cheek before doing the same to Caroline. "Jack, I'm going to be your favorite aunt. We're just not going to tell Elena or Rebekah that," she said, kissing the top of his head.

"That's Elena's worst fear," Stefan said, sliding the sunglasses off his face and tucking them into his jacket pocket.

"Well, I will settle for sharing," Bonnie said, before biting her bottom lip.

"I know that look. What's wrong?" Caroline asked, looking over at her. "Please don't tell me the movers broke something already. This is my worst fear. It's the last thing I need. I bought all of the furniture before I left so I wouldn't have to deal with moving and furniture at the same time. Especially not with the baby."

"Nothing is broken. Everything that has come out of that truck has come out in supreme condition and I don't know why you would expect anything less. I'm sure you vetted the company before you hired them. Don't worry. At least not about that," Bonnie reassured her.

"Then what's wrong? That's your 'Bonnie's worried' look," Caroline asked, looking at her suspiciously.

Bonnie sighed, looking down at the ground as she tried to figure out the best way to tell Caroline, "Klaus is inside. He showed up a few hours ago. I tried to make him leave, but he said he'd just come back tomorrow when you were home if I didn't let him wait. He promised he would leave if you asked him to so I told him he could stay until you got here, but I was calling the police if he decided not to leave when you asked him to."

Caroline looked floored, her hand rested on Jack's back, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted to do with the information that Bonnie had just told her.

"Do you want me to take care of him?" Stefan asked, setting his hand on her shoulder. "I can go in there and ask him to leave. You won't have to deal with him. It's up to you."

She shook her head without thinking about it. "No," Caroline said, "If he's here, I need to talk to him. If he bothered coming all this way then he's not going to give up without a fight. I need to do this. Just make sure the movers don't put anything in the wrong place. There's a floor plan in the top bag in the back," she told them. Taking a deep breath, she held her head up high and walked towards the front door, holding Jack tight against her chest. The conversation was necessary, whether she wanted to have it or not.

Tucking a blonde curl behind her ear, she walked through the front door and looked around the partially furnished apartment until she found Klaus standing in what would soon be Jack's nursery. It was still strange to see him standing there, though the pale gray walls and the white birds flying over the spot where the crib would soon be probably tipped him off to what room would be his son's. She looked him over for a moment as he turned and looked at her. He looked shocked. She could only guess it had something to do with Jack.

She bit her lip, looking up at him. "Did you come here for a reason or are you just trying to make yourself feel better and get closure at the expense of your son and I?" she asked, her arms wrapping protectively around the carrier Jack was resting in.

"I came to talk to you," Klaus spoke, his eyes not leaving the carrier. The top of Jack's head was just barely visible over the top of the carrier. Small wisps of blonde hair and soft skin.

Caroline ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her eyes as she looked over at him. She could have gotten angry or showed her frustration, but it wouldn't help and it wouldn't be good for Jack. Instead, she shook her head, "What do you want to talk about? I thought you said pretty much everything you'd want to say the last time we talked."

"Caroline..-"

"I know. You thought I took money from your father. You thought I did what Tatia did. I understand why that would upset you. I do. I would have been furious if I was in your shoes. Furious, heartbroken, absolutely shattered, but I wouldn't have felt any of those things until after I confirmed everything. Until after I talked to you and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was true. I would have given you the benefit of the doubt because I love you and the idea of you betraying me like that is something that I wouldn't even let myself believe until I knew it was true." She ran her hand over Jack's back. "I talked to Elijah. He said all you would have had to do was check the account to see where the money went. It was never cashed, just moved to another account. You've known I had nothing to do with this for a month and a half, but this is still the first time you've seen your son. You can be mad at me, but he didn't do anything. He can't do anything but smile and love and be perfect and undeserving of anything that has come his way in the last few weeks."

"I made a mistake, Caroline," Klaus said.

"Is that what this was to you? A mistake? Klaus you took the most painful thing from my past, something I don't share with anyone, and you used it to leave me and our son. Do you understand how cruel that was?"

"I do and it's not something I'm proud of. I can't take it back, but I didn't mean it. I thought you had betrayed me and-"

"You needed me to hurt as much as you did. If it was just me, it'd be one thing, but you put Jack in danger too."

"Jack? That's what you named him," he asked upon hearing his son's name.

"Jackson Stefan Forbes," she told him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "He was early, but he's healthy, just a little small."

"I know I put him in danger and it's my biggest regret."

Caroline sat down in the one piece of furniture that had been delivered to the house already, a small rocking chair. "Klaus, at the end of the day, it's not about you or I. It's about Jack and what's best for him. I came here so he could have a fresh start. A life without problems. I don't have to worry about reporters pestering him or your mother and step-father interfering here. It's what's best for him. I guess I need to know why you are here because if it's not one hundred perfect for him, you can turn around and go back to Mikael and DC and leave us alone."

"I'm here for him, Caroline," he told her, taking a step closer. "And I'm here for you. I quit, I got on a plane and now I'm here. I haven't made a single decision today without you and him in mind."

"Just be here for him. I don't know what's going to happen with you and me. I don't know when or if I can get past those things you said. If I can believe that you aren't going to shove me away as hard as possible at the first sign of trouble." She could barely wrap her head around him even standing in front of her. She'd always said she'd never keep him from Jack unless he gave her a reason. She had plenty of reason, but she was still standing here, giving him a chance he probably didn't deserve. She just hoped it wouldn't come back to hurt Jack. "You have one chance and I mean that in the most rigid sense of the word. You leave again, you hurt him in anyway, you do anything to put him in danger, _anything_, and you'll never see him again."

"I have no intention of ever doing anything to hurt him or you again." He looked her in the eye as he made the promise.

"Just worry about him." She hated herself for believing him, but she did. "Would you like to hold your son?" she asked, unhooking the side of the carrier so she could lift the little boy from it and carefully place him in Klaus's arms.

**One Year Later**

"Everything is ready?" Caroline asked, looking over at Holly, the new cashier she had hired a few weeks after opening shop. The bakery had been open for six months now after nearly as long in the development and construction stages. It had been stressful and taxing, but she had gotten through it and things were thriving in New York. It was the happiest Caroline had been in months. She missed Elena and Damon and Stefan, but between the phone calls, Skype calls, and a few visits, everyone made things work. For a decision she had agonized over for months, Caroline knew that she had made the right one. Jack was happy here and nothing mattered to Caroline more.

When Holly nodded, Caroline wiped her hands off on her apron before pulling it over her head. "Great. Elena and Damon are already at my house. Klaus is bringing Jack over any minute now. I have to get back. Everything is set. You should come over once you close up. There's going to be a ton of food and Jack loves you. He only turns one once." She smiled before picking up her purse and the birthday cake she had made for her son and heading out the door.

It didn't take her long to make it back to the brownstone building that she and Bonnie shared. Balancing the cake in one hand, she unlocked the door before heading into the apartment. "Can someone help me?" she called out knowing there had to be someone lingering around as she struggled to keep the cake balanced.

"I've got it." Caroline smiled when she heard the familiar face, happy to see Elijah standing there once the cake was lifted from her hands.

"I knew Katherine was coming, but I didn't realize you were tagging along," she said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and pecking his cheek.

"I thought it best not to miss my nephew's first birthday. Everyone else is in the living room with Jack," he told her, setting the birthday cake down on the kitchen counter.

"I'm sure he's loving the attention," she laughed, setting down the rest of the bags. "You can head back in. I just need to get a few things ready in here and then I'll be in." She watched him walk away before slipping off her jacket and hanging it on one of the hooks in her entry way. She walked over the kitchen island and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a pack of candles to place on the cake. She knew she'd probably have to help the little boy blow them out, but she wanted the full experience, especially for his first birthday.

"The cake looks wonderful, Caroline. Though I didn't expect anything less," Klaus spoke as Caroline turned around to see him standing over the counter top, looking down at the fondant dinosaurs sitting on top of their son's birthday cake.

"Thanks. I'm sure he'll destroy it the second he realizes there chocolate inside, but at least the pictures will be cute," she laughed, pulling the candles out of the package she'd pulled from the drawer. "How long ago did you get here?" she asked as he helped her pick up the plastic protector from the top of the cake so she could plant the candles in the frosting.

"Not long. Elena let me in."

"I sincerely hope she was pleasant." Caroline said, imagining how passive aggressive her best friend could have been when he showed up at the door.

"Far kinder than Bonnie was when I first showed up here last year," he told her, taking a few of the small candles from her package and helping her arrange them in a circle on the cake.

"Well, in Bonnie's defense, you deserved it then," she pointed out, before faltering to a smile. "Elena hasn't been here all year. She hasn't seen how good you are with Jack and how much you try. She's just had a year to be angry with you and keep hating you. It'll fade with time. Now that she can see how functional we all are at co-parenting."

He looked at her for a moment before setting down the candles and turning his full attention to her. "Caroline, I don't wish to simply co-parent with you."

She shook her head, walking away to look through one of the cupboards for matches. "No, Klaus, we've talked about this. When you came back, I told you to be here for Jack-"

"And I told you, I was here for you both. I don't care how long it takes. If you aren't ready or you don't trust me yet, I'll wait. I'll prove it to you every day."

She pulled out a lighter and walked towards the cake, "We don't work. We proved that last time."

"No, I made a mistake last time. And if that mistake keeps us from being together, that's one things, but it's not because we don't work. We do work. We could be a family, a real one, not just three people who happen to be tied together, one that loves each other, one that tries."

"Klaus, I.." The words died on her lips as Klaus pressed his mouth against hers. His hands grasped the sides of her face, bringing her closer, but not keeping her there. She could pull away any moment she wished. He leaned closer, her hips resting against the kitchen counter as his hands slipped down her back, wrapping around her.

When they finally pulled back, Klaus rested his forehead against hers. "Take a chance, Caroline."

Her hands cupped his cheeks, thumbs brushing along the bone as she looked up at him. "We're not telling anyone until tomorrow. Now we help our son blow out the candles," she told him as a smile broke over his lips.

"I think I can agree to those terms," he said, brushing his lips over hers once move, before letting her go.


End file.
